Staff at Tallington Lodge Care Home have once again gone above and beyond, and for the very first time, they have made a seaside holiday getaway a reality for four delighted residents. Doreen, Sylvia, Rosemary and Joyce enjoyed a carefully planned holiday to Blackpool, staying at The Bond Hotel – the UK’s largest fully accessible hotel. With accessible rooms, nightly entertainment, specialist menus and convenient door-to-door transport, the break was designed to be joyful, stress-free and truly memorable for everyone involved. The residents and five members of staff set off by minibus at 10am on Tuesday, 11th November. With a couple of rest breaks along the way, they enjoyed spotting familiar sights, including the iconic Blackpool Tower, before arriving safely at the hotel. After unpacking, everyone headed straight out to see the sea. The group loved strolling along the promenade and spending time in the amusement arcade, where staff kindly gifted the residents fridge magnets as mementoes of the day. On the way back, they took in the famous Blackpool Illumination lights before dinner, followed by an evening of dancing, singing, a raffle and Bingo in the hotel lounge. Doreen was overcome with emotion, saying: “I thought I would never dance again.” Sylvia was making the most of her holiday because when asked what she wanted to drink, she replied: “Darling, I’ll have a double brandy and dry.” Sarah, a member of the team, said: “Seeing the residents come alive with dancing and waving their hands was absolutely magical.” The following morning, the group enjoyed a beautiful walk from the South Pier to the North Pier, taking in views of the beach, sea and trams while chatting and laughing together. A highlight of the trip was visiting the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. The residents were blown away by the grandeur of the building, the atmosphere and the whole experience. They tucked into a delicious afternoon tea while watching professional dancers perform. The journey back to the hotel was made even more special with a nostalgic tram ride. That evening, everyone enjoyed an ABBA tribute act, which was a huge hit with the group. On Thursday, it was time to say goodbye to Blackpool. The journey home was filled with reflections, laughter and stories about their favourite moments from the trip. When asked how they felt afterwards, the residents all replied: “When can we go again?” Rosemary added: “The whole trip was marvellous, and once I have rested, I would like to do the whole thing again.” Home Manager, Natalie White, who accompanied the group, said: “It is such an honour to organise a trip like this for our residents. Seeing the joy it brought them was just amazing; they have returned with a new lease of life. It took careful planning to make sure we could meet everyone’s needs, but it was a wonderful experience for all of us, and we’ve brought home memories we’ll cherish forever.” At Tallington Lodge, staff believe that moving into a care home should never mean giving up the chance to live life to the full. This trip has shown that holidays are very much still possible—and that residents can continue to enjoy meaningful experiences both inside and outside of the home. For more information about Tallington Lodge Care Home, please contact Morgan Hicks on 01780 740 314 or email careenquiries@countrycourtcare.com.

Beneath the stillness of Lincolnshire’s landscapes, author Jack Cartwright has uncovered a world of crime, secrets and suspense. Best known for his Wild Fens, Deadly Wolds and DCI Cook series, he explores vivid and dark rural settings within our county’s rich landscape. With over 50 novels to his name, including 23 as Jack Cartwright, his twisty plots and unforgettable characters have earned him bestseller status. We caught up with him to discuss his journey, his favourite writing ingredients and what’s coming next. Before crime writing, what did life look like for you and how did you end up writing full-time? Before writing as Jack Cartwright, I was writing action thrillers under a different pen name while living in Dubai. At the time, I was Head of IT and Facilities for an architecture company. We moved back to the UK in 2019, and after about a year of getting to know the county, Jack Cartwright was born. My writing journey started as a bucket list item. I had always wanted to write a book, and I had always wanted a degree. So, I did both at the same time. I have never once used that degree certificate, but I enjoyed the writing so much I gave up work and here I am, 50 something novels later. You became a USA Today bestselling author in 2021 and an Amazon best selling author shortly after. How did those moments feel? Under the Jack Cartwright name, I have written 23 books and 22 of them have received Amazon’s bestselling tag in their genre. I would like to think I have built up enough of a following that there’s some excitement when a new book drops, but it’s never something I take for granted. It’s nice to see those accolades and they tickle the ego, but in the day-to-day reality of being an author, they don’t change much. The USA Today recognition was lovely, of course, but the focus is always on the next book, the next idea, the next character. What drew you specifically to crime fiction as a genre? It’s what I watch. If I were to walk into a bookstore, a crime novel is what I would buy… and maybe a bar of chocolate if they have any on the counter! People often say, ‘write what you know.’ I disagree! I know about IT, bricklaying, photography, music, gardening, cars…the list goes on. The trick is weaving what you know into a genre that excites you. Crime fiction excites me. You use your life experience to shape characters that feel real and relatable, characters both you and the reader want to spend time with. In your view, what are the key ingredients of a gripping crime fiction novel? Characters and twists. That’s it. The plot is just the canvas on which to paint your characters. If you’ve got a rich palette of characters, like the ones you meet in real life, the twists will come naturally. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your writing is; if the reader doesn’t care about your characters, they’ll close the book. And if your characters are as flat and dull as a vegan barbecue, well, good luck finding a twist that works. Your books are deeply rooted in Lincolnshire. What makes the Fens and Wolds such effective crime settings? A sense of wonder. I frequently find spots across Lincolnshire (other counties are available!) that fill me with a sense of intrigue. If I stumble across a remote farmhouse, I immediately start asking myself questions. Who lived there? What happened? Why is it derelict? Add some rich characters who might thrive in those settings, and it doesn’t take long for ideas to take root. You now have three separate series under your belt. How do Wild Fens, Deadly Wolds and the DCI Cook novels differ for you – and your readers? They all have a different energy, much like the landscapes they’re set in. Stand in the Fens, and you see miles of open, windswept farmland. The Wild Fens books reflect that openness – wild and free. The stories are littered with humour and grit alike. They bask in light, and they lurk in the shade with a romantic thread running quietly beneath the crime. The Deadly Wolds books are more constrained. They strike deep into the reader’s heart. They still experience light and shade, but the emotions run deeper, and the stories explore themes many readers relate to but don’t necessarily voice. The DCI Cook series is something else entirely – a slow-burn. They are bonus books, and each one is inspired by a Dickens novel. I love that sense of age and hardship and how the characters intertwine. That’s what I try to encapsulate. What can readers expect from you next? More Wild Fens, another Deadly Wolds, and maybe something new. Who knows? I haven’t quite decided yet. But whatever it is, the journey will be fun for me, and hopefully for the readers too. Jack Cartwright’s latest novel Secrets from the Grave, is available now at Amazon. Explore the full series at www.jackcartwrightbooks.com or follow him on social media. See this Q&A in the December issue of Lincolnshire Today, here.

Active Lincolnshire has received a commitment of additional funding from Sport England to boost levels of physical activity among people living in communities facing the greatest health inequalities and barriers to being active. South Holland is among the 27 places set to benefit from a share of Sport England’s £250 million investment into the heart of communities across England, designed to tackle inactivity and inequalities by making sport, physical activity and movement accessible for everyone. This investment in South Holland follows equivalent investments in Boston and East Lindsey earlier this year. Sport England research calculates that active lifestyles save £8 billion a year for the health and social care system. This relieves some of the NHS burden, preventing more than 3.3 million cases of chronic health conditions a year – including 1.3m cases of depression, 900,000 cases of back pain and 700,000 cases of type 2 diabetes. The Social Value of Sport report demonstrates that being physically active generates an average wellbeing value of £2,600 per adult. For adults who are disabled and/or live with a long-term health condition, being active generates a wellbeing value of more than double that – £5,300 a year. Overall, the social value of physical activity in Lincolnshire is over £1.6 billion. Less than half of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines for daily physical activity and women, people from lower socio-economic groups and Black and Asian people are still less likely to be active than other adults. To tackle these stubborn inequalities and break down barriers to a more active life, Sport England is taking a ‘Place-based approach’ – partnering with local organisations and leaders who understand both the specific needs of their communities and the local assets that are available – to support people to move more and be more active. In South Holland, Active Lincolnshire will work with residents and local partners to listen, learn and understand the challenges and opportunities. Everyone will then work together to develop a plan for the multiyear investment. Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Sport England’s Executive Director for Place, said: “We want everyone, no matter where they live or who they are, to have the chance to be active and healthy. To do this, we’re focusing on places, towns, cities, and communities, where people face the biggest challenges. “We are proud to announce a further 27 new Sport England place partnerships, in every corner of the country, bringing the total number of places we are working with to more than 90. We are committed to working with local partners and communities to break down the barriers to physical activity so that everyone has equal access to a more active life. We are excited to see what we can achieve together in South Holland.” Emma Tatlow, Active Lincolnshire’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is a really positive opportunity for our communities. We are delighted that Sport England is building on its investment in Lincolnshire, helping us to further support residents of South Holland to be more active. “We know that where a person lives and the environment around them has an enormous impact on how likely they are to be physically active, and that too often people still face barriers and access to opportunities and facilities is inequitable. “This investment from Sport England allows us to target our resources and efforts on communities that experience the greatest levels of inequality. It will enable us to bring together local leaders, policy and decision-makers and organisations with the community to understand the barriers and issues people face to getting active, therefore co-creating local solutions. “If we can galvanise key stakeholders to work together with communities, we can break down the barriers and address the inequalities that are preventing the least active members of a community from joining in, benefiting people’s overall health and wellbeing. We look forward working closely with local partners and communities, going on this journey together.” Cllr Nick Worth, Leader of South Holland District Council, said: “This additional investment in South Holland is fantastic news for our local communities in the District. This funding will help people live healthier lifestyles and in turn lead to improved wellbeing. “We look forward to collaborating with Active Lincolnshire and other partners so people across the district have more opportunities to lead healthier and active lifestyles.”   Image: Wellbeing walk in Spalding. Credit: Chris Vaughan Photography Ltd for Active Lincolnshire via Social Change