£2.95 DECEMBER 2019 THE REGION’S FAVOURITE COUNTY MAGAZINE WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NET www.blmgroup.co.uk BLM GROUPGROUP BLM £2.95 DECEMBER 2019 THE REGION’S FAVOURITE COUNTY MAGAZINE Great gift ideas Sparkling seasonal fashion Festive food Great gift ideas Sparkling seasonal fashion Festive food 01.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:11 Page 1Spectacular Christmas Events Cher Tribute Friday 6th December Divas Through the Decades Saturday 7th December Tom Jones Tribute Friday 13th December Rock Anthems Saturday 14th December Smash Hits of the 80’s Friday 20th December Wham Duo Saturday 21st December BOOK EARLY - Call 01472 356068 or email: info@millfieldshotel.co.uk £36 per person including a 3 course meal Christmas Lunch Menu Served 12.00pm - 2.00pm Monday - Saturday Two Course £17.50 per person • Three Course £21.50 per person Christmas Evening Menu Served 5.00pm - 9.30pm Monday - Saturday Party Nights arrive 7.00pm for a 7.30pm start Two Course £26.00 per person • Three Course £36.00 per person Christmas Day Menu Served 12.00pm - 3.00pm Two Course £69.50 per person • £34.50 under 12’s New Year’s Eve Menu Arrive 7.00pm for 7.30pm service £65.00 per person 02.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:12 Page 1from the editor A general election might not have been the early Christmas present any of us were hoping for but, nevertheless, come 12 December it’s off to the polls we go. Far be it from me to tell you how to vote this time around, but the divisions between the main parties have never been murkier. Maybe this time it’s best just to go with the gut and hope that the country doesn’t dissolve into utter anarchy. But enough doom and gloom, it’s Christmas after all, a time for family and merriment, and we’ve got a jam-packed festive special to blow the winter blues away. The festivities infuse almost every page and feature this issue with an exploration of Lincoln, our gorgeous capital city that’s the crowning jewel of the county’s Christmas celebrations. Our wildlife feature looks at that most quintessential Christmas critter, while the fashion pages are all about looking fab and glamorous. Health and fitness suggest a little restraint this season, while the beauty pages have all the tips and tricks you need to look and feel your very best. Both our home trends section and our gift guide are packed with present inspiration if you’re looking for a helping hand. Of course, Christmas is as much about the food as anything else, and this issue we’ve got a posh twist on the turkey dinner, as well as an insight into a local head chef whose star – and restaurant – are rising. It’s not all about Christmas, though, with a look at women in business and some of the most remarkable female business leaders and entrepreneurs in our county. Being a family business ourselves, we always like to take a look at the ins and outs of family businesses this time of year, so turn to our business feature for more. From myself and all the team here at Lincolnshire Today, have a very merry Christmas. Stay warm, hug your loved ones, and share the love. Good reading, as always… Michael Fisher Editor and the Lincolnshire Today team This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the 5.5 million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Before you recycle your magazine, please ensure you remove all plastic wrapping, free gifts and samples. If you are unable to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine onto a local hospital or charity? FRONT COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF SHUTTERSTOCK/DELBARS LincolnshireToday @lincstoday lincolnshiretoday.net COME AND MEET MORE THAN 400 RESCUED HORSES AND DONKEYS! Bransby Horses is a Registered Charity No: 1075601. Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England and Wales No: 3711676. FREE ADMISSION l OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK, 9am-4pm l CAFE l PLAY PARK l PICNIC AREA l GIFT SHOP Find us at LN1 2PH | www.bransbyhorses.co.uk | 01427 788464 | Group Editor: Steve Fisher Editor: Michael Fisher, Journalists: Dominic Cuthbert, Stuart Pearcey, Tess Egginton Sales Director: Angela Cooper Sales: Kerry Randerson Accounts & Circulations: Angela Sharman, John Downes (01472) 310301 Design & Production: Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson Advertising: Tel: (01472) 310302 Editorial: Tel: (01472) 310305 Part Of The Business Link Magazine Group: Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE Email: lincs-today@blmgroup.co.uk Website: www.lincolnshiretoday.net ISSN No: 1366-1299 © All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. 03.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:13 Page 1Features 6 THIS MONTH IN LINCOLNSHIRE What’s been going on in the county this month? 9RSPCA CHARITY BALL Held at the Doubletree Hilton in Lincoln, guests to this black tie ball were treated to a night in the enchanted garden. Against this magical backdrop, visitors enjoyed a delicious three-course meal and a disco 24LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFE The robin is an undeniable symbol of Christmas, but where exactly did this connection begin? Lincolnshire Today finds out 26THE BELL OF THE BALL It’s the height of the party season, so it’s time to put your best frock on, fix your face, and strut your stuff 32FINISHING TOUCHES Think of accessorising as putting the bow, glitter or ribbon on a Christmas present. Sure, it’s not necessary, but it makes you look and feel good 34FINE THREADS There are parties aplenty this time of year and so you’ll want some sharp looks to see you through 36NEW SALON, NEW YEAR, NEW YOU November saw Quintessential Hair and Beauty open the doors to a brand-new salon. Having been based in Market Rasen for eight years, the ever-growing business is set to expand and modernise 38WITH OR WITHOUT THE TRIMMINGS? Christmas is the time of overindulgence, but it doesn’t have to be. Lincolnshire Today shares some canny tricks and tips to cutting down 40WINTER GOLF Going eighteen holes in the winter may seem daunting to some, but for many it’s a well-kept and enjoyable secret 43CHRISTMAS TIME It’s Christmas, or soon will be, which means that it’s time to bring out those oven mitts and start preparing a feast for the family – and whatever guests might be coming too 50TIS THE SEASON OF GIVING There’s no shame in admitting you’re stuck for gifting inspiration. Some friends and loved ones are just a devil to buy for. Rather than resorting to a bottle of whisky or a box of chocolates this year, why not think outside the box with one of these quirky pressies from our curated gift guide 58TO LINCOLN WITH LOVE No Christmas would be complete without a visit to Lincoln. Quite why our county’s namesake has become synonyms with this time of year isn’t easy to define. Perhaps it’s the gothic cathedral, the period architecture or the annual Christmas market. But maybe, there really is a magic in the air. DECEMBER IT’S THE HEIGHT OF THE PARTY SEASON, SO IT’S TIME TO PUT YOUR BEST FROCK ON, FIX YOUR FACE, AND STRUT YOUR STUFF. contents 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:16 Page 1NO CHRISTMAS WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A VISIT TO LINCOLN. QUITE WHY OUR COUNTY’S NAMESAKE HAS BECOME SYNONYMS WITH THIS TIME OF YEAR ISN’T EASY TO DEFINE. 62LINCOLNSHIRE HERITAGE EXPLORED The English Civil War in Lincolnshire - we look at Lincolnshire’s role during this turbulent time of its history 65WOMEN IN BUSINESS The business world is still predominantly male-focused, but hard work in Lincolnshire has seen women in business flourish not despite the challenges, but in spite of them! 67FAMILY BUSINESS In today’s world of big business and companies drawing in billions, can the humble family business cope? • Joe Roe Grimsby 72COUNTY MOTORING If you need a new set-of-wheels, or you just like cars, read on to see what we’ve been behind the wheel of since our last issue • We put the Maserati Levante through its paces 76WHAT’S ON There’s always something going on in Lincolnshire • No Christmas would be complete without a pantomime or two, oh no it wouldn’t. To keep things easy for you this festive season, we’ve rounded up pantos taking place right across the county Desirable homes 10A PROPERTY WITH THE “WOW FACTOR” Offering spacious rooms, plenty of storage and peaceful privacy, this month’s featured property, which has been fully refurbished to form the ideal family home, ticks all the boxes 14GIFTS FOR THE HOME By now, readers will have likely bought the majority of their Christmas presents and much of the food they’ll be wanting for the festive period. But what about the home? 16WINTER WONDERLAND Grimsby artist Carl Paul is no stranger to our art pages and now he’s back with a new collection of evocative winter scenes of Lincoln 18THE GOOD LIFE When the Wilson’s first moved into their home 30 years ago their garden was rather neglected, more of an allotment than a garden. As Helen recalls: “Imagine a throwback to that TV sitcom, the Good Life, and you wouldn’t be far wrong.“ 22ALL YEAR ROUND Landscaping can be carried out all year round. The creation of hard landscaping, such as decking, paths, walls or paving, can be done at any time as Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping demonstrates 04-05.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:16 Page 2The value of Lincolnshire’s tourism industry has grown by a further 7%, reaching £1.68 billion in 2018, according to the latest STEAM figures. The figures also showed that, in 2018, the county attracted around 21 million visitors – a 2.5% rise on the previous year. As a result, the visitor economy is now worth 62% more than it was ten years ago. Cllr Colin Davie, Executive Member for Economy and Place, said: “Tourism is a key industry for the county economy, employing more than 20,000 people. “We’re working hard to attract even more visitors, and over the last couple of years we’ve dramatically improved what we have to offer. And although the summer remains our busiest time of year, we’re now seeing an increasing number of visitors in October and March.” He added: “Looking ahead, the increasing number of direct trains between Lincoln and London will make it easier for overseas visitors to discover all our county has to offer.” Exhibition to showcase LGBTQI+ works from local artist A solo exhibition will showcase the works of local contemporary artist, Annabel McCourt. For this exhibition, Annabel’s awe-inspiring work, the ‘Electric Fence’, which was initially conceived for Hull Minster during the City of Culture year, will take over the upstairs space in the Usher Gallery in Lincoln. This is a thought-provoking sculpture inspired by homophobic hate speech and utilising innovative audio technology to create an immersive and haunting experience. The gallery is also showing a neon work by Annabel, titled ‘Happy Hour in the Harmful Factory’. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, a new set of flags designed by Annabel will fly above the Usher Gallery as part of the on-going contemporary art flag commissions. These flags will be a playful exploration of subversion and counter-narratives and a celebration of LGBTQI+ identities. The exhibition runs from 8 February to 10 May 2020. latest news Local tourism breaks £1.5bn barrier © Shuttertock/Jazzerez Inaugural Ambassador’s Gala Dinner raises £12k for hospice Attendees to the inaugural North Lincolnshire Ambassador’s charity gala dinner helped raise almost £12,000 for Lindsey Lodge Hospice in Scunthorpe. Organised by the North Lincolnshire Ambassador Programme, the event was designed to bring together business leaders to celebrate their collective successes and to raise money for the charity – which is the Mayor of North Lincolnshire Cllr Jonathan Evison’s Charity of the Year. More than 200 business leaders attended the event at Forest Pines last week – raising money through sponsorship, table sales, and donations together with charity casino tables. “It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and will hopefully establish itself as a highlight of the business calendar in North Lincolnshire going forward,” said David Clugston, Chairman of the North Lincolnshire Place Marketing Board. He added: “To raise the money is brilliant, but to be able to do so by bringing together businesses from across the region and beyond to celebrate their successes makes it even better.” © Blue Teapot Media 06-08.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:18 Page 1More than £159,000 has been raised for environmental causes across the county via Lincolnshire Co-op’s ‘Community Champions’ scheme. Several groups received a share of the total, including Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Lincolnshire Rivers Trust and the Boultham Park project in Lincoln. The funds will help bolster the groups’ projects as they care for and develop green spaces in their communities. Since it was launched in 2013, Community Champions has helped hundreds of local charities and community groups each year raising amounts from £200 to over £200,000. More than 171,000 members raised the total by shopping in Lincolnshire Co-op stores throughout summer. A donation was made each time a member used their dividend card. Funds were collected from donation boxes in outlets and more was raised thanks to Lincolnshire Co-op colleagues who organised fundraising events. Lincoln Uni launches #WhyArtsMatter campaign The University of Lincoln has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the scope of the arts and its importance in our cultural and economic fabric. The #WhyArtsMatter campaign is spearheaded by the University of Lincoln with support from Alan Bishop, Chief Executive at Creative Industries Federation, who launched #WhyArtsMatter during a visit to the University’s College of Arts. Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “Arts matter because the arts make life worth living. The arts enhance our lives, they tell us where we come from and help us to understand each other.” She added: “We are launching the Why Arts Matter campaign because we have seen the erosion of the arts at all levels of education. We want to get young people back into the arts and to celebrate why arts matter.” Inspiring architecture to transform Wolds Wildlife Park Plans have been revealed for extensive new facilities at Wolds Wildlife Park in Horncastle, featuring jungle-like canopies, glass walkways, elevated viewing galleries and even a ‘Yoga with the Bears’ enclosure. The expansion project, which received planning permission in August, sees AM2 Architects work in conjunction with Louth-based For-Ward Planning Consultancy and East Lindsey District Council to develop the masterplan for the wildlife park; which includes improvements to the existing space and plans to accommodate a larger variety and number of animals. The new expansion project will take the park to the next phase – creating a complete zoological park with species-specific enclosures, and interactive spaces for visitors to enjoy. The final phase three of the development, which aims to be complete by 2022, includes a brand-new main building for the park, complete with a gift shop and restaurant featuring canopy-like structures as its roof. Lincolnshire Co-op raises £159k for environmental causes © Shuttertock/Zamurovic Photography © AM2 Architects 06-08.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:19 Page 2It’s that time of year again when seal pups take their first breaths at Donna Nook. Posting on Facebook in October, the Donna Nook Warden announced that the first seal pup had been born. “Our warden only just managed to spit it as the mum has it well tucked away. It isn’t visible from the viewing area,” the post read. “Don’t worry if you don’t get to see this one, though, we are expected many more pups to be born over the coming weeks.” So if you’d like to see if you can spot a seal pub for yourself, head down to Donna Nook. Lincoln BIG is urging businesses in the city to put “loyalty first” in a bid to attract new and repeat customers in the run-up to Christmas. Since introducing LoyalFree to its 800 members in spring, Lincoln BIG has reported an 81% rise in the use of the scheme, Thousands of people have downloaded the LoyalFreeApp, which offers money-saving shopping and leisure deals as well as providing opportunities to discover more about city events and other attractions. Lincoln BIG Is now encouraging more of its levy payers to make the most of the scheme. Businesses are using the app in many different ways, including the promotion of food and drink offers, clothing deals, special beauty treats and a wide variety of discounts. They are also using it to alert shoppers to special events and Lincoln BIG and VisitLincoln use it to highlight fun trails and let people know about the latest attractions. First seal pup born at Donna Nook latest news Archaeologists uncover historic graffiti Graffiti carved into a stable door revealing what life was like the day World War One started has been uncovered by archaeologists in Lincolnshire. As well as showing the date the war started – 4 August 1914 – the graffiti also showed children’s drawings of horses, a bicycle, two ploughs and names and initials. The discovery was made by independent archaeologist Neville Hall whilst recording the historic buildings as part of a barn conversion in the Fens, near Quadring. “With help from the farm’s previous owner, we have been able identify the children who created the graffiti – William Bristow and John Leusley – and trace the poignant story of their families during the war,” said Ian Marshman, historic environment officer at Lincolnshire County Council. He added: “The door will be preserved by the descendants of the Bristow family, but the research on the farm and graffiti will be added to the county council’s Historic Environment Record, where it will be available to future researchers.” © Shuttertock/Andrew Astbury Photos courtesy of Kathryn Murphy Businesses encouraged to join Lincoln loyalty scheme 06-08.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:19 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 9 SOCIAL SCENE RSPCA Charity Ball Held at the Doubletree Hilton in Lincoln, guests to this black tie ball were treated to a night in the enchanted garden. Against this magical backdrop, visitors enjoyed a delicious three-course meal and a disco. There was also a grand raffle to raise important funds for the RSCPA Lincolnshire Mid & Lincoln Branch. Over the evening, more than £6,000 was raised. l-R; Haydn Jones, Charlie Read, Amy Farrell, Dawn Fritzsche, Penny Kemp, Lewis Harry PHOTOS COURTESY OF RICHARD PICKSLEY 09.qxp_Layout 1 13/11/2019 11:19 Page 1Next >