< Previous30 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYLINCOLNon, and decorations will be inplace, leaving the city a magicallocation for the whole family, oreven just to visit for a littlerelaxation. For those who want tospend a little more time, perhapseven a night or two, there areplenty of fantastic hotels to choosefrom – many of which also serve fullcourse dinners from their ownrestaurants. Or you might even want totry one of the many other restaurantsavailable in the city.It’s no secret that Lincoln gets busyduring the festive period. The streets areoften lined with shoppers and parkingcan traditionally be something of aproblem. This year, that is set to change,however. A special Park & Ride service isbeing offered to help cut congestion,allowing visitors to park at theLincolnshire Showground and then makeuse of a bus service which will run everytwenty minutes to ferry visitors back andforth. A full return ticket will only cost£2.50, while children will be riding forfree. This takes a lot of the hassle out ofthe parking problem, especiallyconsidering that parking within the citywould likely have cost more than a busticket anyway. This service will be runningfrom the 9-11th of December and thenthe 16-18th, with over a thousandparking spaces available. But if you want a truly magicalshopping experience then it might beworth coming a little later in the day, ason select days of the month, shops onthe high street, Waterside ShoppingCentre and some stores in St Mark’sShopping Centre will be staying openuntil 8 or 9pm. These will be open onselect days, though those will include therun up to Christmas from the 19-23rd of the month. If shopping at the market isn’tsomething of interest then there isalways the option to visit theLincoln Ice Rink, which is adecorated, outdoor ice rink set inthe heart of the city itself. It’s alsoworth noting that penguin-shapedskating aids are available for children,which is a good way to teach them howto skate in the first place. When the sun goes down there’s plentyof other opportunities as well. Lincoln is acity with a bustling nightlife, and thereare venues for people of all ages. Homeprovides a popular nightclub experience,with different music playing on any of itsmultiple floors, while numerous venuesdotted up and down steep hill provide amore casual experience. Whether it’s for the shopping, a nightout or just a day for the whole family toenjoy, Lincoln always accommodates –not just in December – but for the wholeyear. If you haven’t visited during theChristmas period before, however, thenit’s a sight not to be missed. 28-31_Layout 1 15/11/2016 12:38 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY31Place a tribute in memory of your loved one on our memorial Christmas treeWe’re also hosting a coffee morning on 1st December between 10am - 12noon,QORYLQJPHPRU\RI0XPJRQHEXWQHYHUIRUJRWWHQHVSHFLDOO\DW&KULVWPDVWLPH[[[From 1st - 23rd DecemberMonday - Friday For more information visitwww.lincolnshire.coop/memorialtreeOpen from Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm131 Burton Rd, Lincoln LN1 3LN. A short walk from BailgateTel: 01522 542085MidSeasonSalenow onSuperbly located in the middle of the marina atBurton Waters, Laguna Verde offers diners a greatview while they enjoy modern European cuisine.Experience the epitome of timeless glamour.For Christmas menu and reservations please give us acall or visit our website01522 530221www.lagunaverderestaurant.co.ukLOTTIESATIKEXCLUSIVE FASHIONSITUATED WITHIN THEHISTORIC BAILGATE45 STEEP HILLLINCOLN ILN2 1LU01522 536035LOTTIESATIK.CO.UKExciting newcollection nowin store28-31_Layout 1 15/11/2016 12:38 Page 4Take yournext step towardsyour careerStudy a qualification with Riverside Training, weoffer Apprenticeships, Traineeships, NCFE/CACHEqualifications for Teaching Assistants, Early Yearsand Health/Social Carewww.riversidetrainingspalding.co.uk 01775 710945nServicing nMOTs nRepairs nBrakes & Tyres nEngine diagnostics nCar Batteries nExhausts nECU RemappingnAir Conditioning Testing/repairs/Re GasVW, AUDI, SEAT & SKODA SPECIALISTTel: 01472 812130www.lincsvwa.comUnit 3, Woodside ParkStation Road, TetneyGrimsby. DN36 5HX212-216 Freeman Street, Grimsby DN32 9DRTel: 01472 343921 • www.craft-fabrics.com For all your essential crafting requirementshost a traditional party by themselves,many organisations are making use of themany fabulous events the venues mountthemselves – offering live music fromtribute acts, dancing and fabulous food.Leave aside the pressures of the festiveseason and let the expert party plannersput on a spectacular show!The companies we feature on this pageall emphasise the independent spirit thatexists in Lincolnshire and look forward toanother year of welcoming their loyalcustomers and providing the personaltouch. Merry Christmas!the build-up to the big day. They’ll alloffer a warm welcome and ensure thegiving is just as much fun as the receiving.These excursions can be so much funthat increasingly people are making a dayof their Christmas shopping andcombining it with a spot of dining. Manyvenues are reporting an increasingnumber of guests being welcomedthrough their doors. That’s perhaps not asurprise given many top restaurants andhotels mount some fantastic specialoffers over the festive season.It’s often now the case that, rather thanYou could be forgiven for thinking thatthe old tradition of Christmas shoppingwas now a thing of the past, thanks to theopportunity to purchase stuff from thecomfort of your armchair. Yet Lincolnshirecontinues to come to life over the festiveperiod and there’s a host of places to lookfor that special gift. Besides, surely part ofthe fun of Christmas shopping is thefestive atmosphere, rather than simplywearing out your credit card.Almost every city, town and village inLincolnshire will be buzzing with latenight shopping and Christmas markets inJ.D. Carpet BindingJ.D. Carpet BindingUnit 32, The Grimsby Business Centre King Edward Street, DN31 3JHTel: 01472 362551 or 07508 591646Transforms carpets into something specialQuality wool or premier edging.We can cut and edge most typesof carpet.KEVIN JOHNSON - AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTORSLime spreading ( Lime stone and Lime x70) and can arrange soiltesting with GPS. Also Fertilizer spread including variable rates.Drilling with 6 metre tine drill.Also 220 hp tractor and driver.4 Church Road, Wittering, PeterboroughTel: 01780 782924 Mobile: 07860 608825enquiries@kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.ukwww.kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.uk“For those times when you need ahelping hand on farm or on land”Christmas...It’s beginning to look a lot likeWe wouldlike to wish allour customers,old and a new aMerryChristmasTABLEWARE • GLASSWAREAchurch & SonsHARDWARE STORE16/17 Market Place, Horncastle. Tel: (01507) 523441B & D POWER TOOLS • STELLA/MEYER COOKWAREGARDENING•CAKE STORAGE TINS • BAKEWAREKITCHENWARE • LE CREUSET • LA CAFATIERE •HANDTOOLSAchurchthe Hardware Storefor Inspirational Christmas Gifts HorncastleZ Cake Art Z25 North Street, Horncastle,Lincs. LN9 5DXTelephone: 01507525926 Mobile: 07734007765Email: horncakes@tiscali.co.ukwww.horncastlecakeart.co.uk32_Layout 1 14/11/2016 14:05 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY33SOCIAL SCENESpaldingGolf Club Annual BallPHOTOS: JULIAN WHEELERClub Captain MikeCrampton together withLady Captain HannahThorold along with 150Members and guestscelebrated Bonfire Night bydancing the night away atSpalding Golf Clubs AnnualBall at the SpringfieldCentre, Spalding.Spalding Golf Club, one ofLincolnshire’s premiercourses is fortunate to havea thriving Social scene andthe Annual Ball is ahighlight in the SocialCalendar. Once again,superbly organized byMillie Thorold (LadyCaptains Mum!) theevening was thoroughlyenjoyed by all.33_Layout 1 15/11/2016 12:38 Page 134 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYAs locals point out, The name Haxeyoriginates from Scandinavia and for“Haki’s Island”. Haxey apparently suffered a disastrousfire in 1741, so few old buildings remainapart from St Nicholas’s church, which isknown locally as the “Cathedral of theIsle” being the largest church building inthe Isle of Axholme. Notable features include early Normanstonework within, six bells and a rare,ancient carillon which plays three hymntunes. The organ is a fine instrument,much appreciated by professionalorganists. The kneelers and Stations ofthe Cross banners are interestingexamples of needlework. The church isover 900 years old and the church andparish of Haxey are mentioned in theDomesday Book. To the east of the churchyard is thestump of a market cross used as the‘Fool’s stone’ which is used during theopening ceremonies of the muchcelebrated Haxey Hood event - one ofthe oldest local traditions in England anddating back to the fourteenth century,which taking place on 6th January eachyear (the twelfth day of Christmas). But back to our walk - the northwestcorner an unusual lytchegate revolvesaround a central post and at the oppositeend of Church Street is Greenhill whereanother market cross survives bearing awhite lion on a red shield, the arms ofthe Mowbray family and owners of theEpworth Manor (that included Haxey andWestwoodside) in the Middle Ages. We also walk part of the former Isle ofAxholme Joint Railway. The first of thecompanies that ultimately came to formthe Axholme Joint was the Goole &Marshland Railway. This was authorisedby a Light Railway Order of 16 August1898 to construct a line betweenMarshland Junction, on the line betweenHull and Doncaster, to Fockerby. This was authorised in 1898 and wasthe first to be built under the 1896 LightRailways Act, which encouraged rurallines by circumventing payment ofExploringLincolnshireon footA winter walk in theIsle of AxholmeThis month we visit the Isle of Axholme, for the first ofour winter walks. There’s something refreshing aboutgetting out and about outside and blowing away thecobwebs on a bright winters day and Haxey is a first-ratedestination for walkers with its well-marked walks. 34-35_Layout 1 14/11/2016 14:07 Page 1THE ROUTE We begin by walkingdown Church Street,heading away from thechurch towardsGreenhill. (Here we see the MowbrayCross.) Keeping right down High Street,we pass the old Post Office and just afterMarlborough Avenue (before the chapel)a gate on the left affords access to theold railway. Following this to a ramp by aschool, we go up and cross the road,descending a corresponding ramp on thefar side and continue ahead passingbeneath two overhead bridges. Just afterthe cutting is an embankment, at a brickbridge parapet, we descend the steps onthe left onto the grass track of RocketLane. Then we keep ahead for threequarters of a mile to a surfaced road. We then turn right, following the road,with distant views to the hills andwindmills surrounding Epworth, and at itsend continue ahead as a stony trackdevelops. This leads to a fieldgate andthe nature reserve entrance, following theobvious main track through the reserveuntil we eventually meet anotherLINCOLNSHIRETODAY35expensive Parliamentary legal costs.The line opened in sectionsbetween January 1900 and January1905 during which time atransaction confirmed by an Act of31st July 1902 involving a newrailway — the Axholme Joint wascreated.It’s not hard to imagine thegrandeur of steam trains passing throughthis area but sadly the rise of unrestrictedbus competition in the early 1920’s maderail travel less economic and eventually,while freight services continued, railcarsceased to operate over the ‘main line’apart from the odd excursion train.Haxey Turbary was once peat bogwhere historically the local populace hadrights to cut peat and turves. Howeverdrainage was begun in earnestthroughout the Isle of Axholme in the1620’s by Cornelius Vermuyden at thebehest of king Charles I in order toconvert the land to agricultural use, aprocess it might be added that met withconsiderable (often violent) opposition.The Turbary today is a nature reserveunder the guardianship of theLincolnshire Wildlife Trust. For moredetails, and a short trail within the reservesee the LWT websitewww.lincstrust.org.uk.The name Westwoodside bears a literalmeaning for it was a settlement on thefringes of woodland within the Mowbrayestates. It became a bastion ofMethodism (hardly surprising consideringits proximity to Epworth) and the famousJohn Wesley preached here regularly. prominent track at the far side at a 3-wayfootpath sign. We turn left past floodedquarries and take the left branch wherethe track divides. At the public road weturn left into Westwoodside arriving atthe picturesque pond. Keeping ahead into Upperthorpe Hillwe go right along a fenced footpath,which at first leads between houses. Onreaching a path junction we bear left intothe Carpenters Arms car park.From the inn we walk up Brethergatefor 200 yards and then turn right ontothe footpath opposite the end ofGollands Lane following it through to aroad (Nethergate). Crossing over intoSandbeds Lane, and bearing right at ajunction to join a track, we ignore all sidepaths and follow the track until it curvesgently leftwards uphill to Haxey church.There are some large stone steps to climbto enter the churchyard which walk backthrough into Church Street.FACTFILESTART:Haxey. (Church Street)MAPS:OS Landranger sheet 112 (Scunthorpe) •Explorer sheet 280DISTANCE: 71⁄2miles • 11.5 kilometresREFRESHMENTS: In Haxey: Duke William, The Loco andKings Arms or Mowbrays café.In Westwoodside: Carpenters Arms orWestwoodside stores34-35_Layout 1 14/11/2016 14:07 Page 210 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONTis theseasonThere’s no better excuse than the run up to Christmas and intothe New Year to get dressed up to the nines.36-45_Layout 1 15/11/2016 07:59 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY11FASHIONNumphThe pattern is evocative ofchilly snowscapes, but thisNumph outfit is anythingbut cold. 36-45_Layout 1 15/11/2016 07:59 Page 238 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHION1) BaslerAt first glance this Basler outfit is athrowback to the ghost of partiespast, but look a little closer andyou’ll see the stylish modern designin all its glory.2) IchiIchi’s gorgeous little cocktail dresstakes cues from Gatsby’s decadentparties – perfect for evening revelry.3) Marc CainThis slinky number from Marc Cainscreams party, and with a fewchoice accessories you’ll bring inthe New Year in style. 4) Ted BakerStrike a sexy pose with this to-diefor look from Ted Baker. 136-45_Layout 1 15/11/2016 07:59 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY39FASHION23436-45_Layout 1 15/11/2016 07:59 Page 4Next >