Lincoln’s Boultham Park to host Coronation party

Stuart Pearcey
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Lincoln’s Boultham Park to host Coronation party

Lincoln’s Boultham Park is to host a picnic fit for royalty next month to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

Organised by City of Lincoln Council and Boultham Park Advisory Group, the celebration picnic will take place on Sunday 7 May between  11am and 4pm. With King Charles III officially crowned as the United Kingdom’s new monarch on Saturday 6the, the community’s families will have the opportunity to gather the following day to picnic and enjoy the entertainment available. Entertainment will include:
  • Children’s fairground rides
  • Bouncy Castle
  • Live music and a DJ
  • Food stalls including ice cream, donuts, burgers and more
  • Face painter
Singer Cleopatra Ridgeway will perform swing / ‘Rat Pack’ style music to mark the occasion, and there will also be other live performances and vintage gramophone DJ Adam Wareham. The County Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society will also be giving visitors a sneak peek of their upcoming performance of School of Rock. In addition, the Boultham Park Café will be open to the public during the event and children will have the opportunity to win a prize for the best dressed King/Queen. Kate Fenn, Civic Manager and event organiser said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming residents in the city to celebrate this monumental occasion. “Although there will be a range of stalls selling food and drink, visitors are welcome to bring their own picnics and blankets.” Robert Pitchford, Chair of the Boultham Park Advisory Group added: “”BPAG are delighted that Boultham Park is being used as the venue for this special event. There is no more fitting backdrop for what we know will be a fabulous day.”

Let’s hear it for Europe’s largest wading bird on World Curlew Day

Stuart Pearcey
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Let’s hear it for Europe’s largest wading bird on World Curlew Day
Today is World Curlew Day, on which we’re encouraged to celebrate the largest wading bird in Europe, with long legs and curvy beaks making them perfect for finding food in our coastline’s thick mud. They love the coastline around Cleethorpes, Grimsby and Immingham. A tall wader, curlews arrive along our coastline form July onwards with their numbers peaking in January. A group of curlews is called a curfew, a salon or a skein. You can often spot them on football pitches along our coastline, looking for food in the torn-up turf. Their ‘cur-lee’ call is distinctive along with their long down curved bill that has a flash of pink underneath. They use this curvy bill to eat worms, shellfish and shrimps from the mud flat.  Due to their eating habits, female curlews have a longer bill than the males. The Eurasian Curlew was once a common sight across the UK, but their numbers have drastically declined over the last 40 years. On average, we have lost 60 per cent of the curlew population in England and Scotland since 1980. They are now a red list species with only 58,500 breeding pairs in the UK. Once Curlews make it to adulthood, they are very hardy birds but many don’t survive to fledging age. This is due to changing landscapes, habitat loss, recreational disturbance, climate change and natural predators. Curlews take 90 days to nest successfully, they need a variety of tall and short vegetation to provide cover and food. Loss or change of habitat has been a major factor in the species decline. Mitigation sites like Novartis Ings provide a safe habitat for curlews and other birds to rest and feed. Curlews are one of the species for which the Humber Estuary has been classed as an internationally important habitat and is protected in law. Why is World Curlew Day today? St Beuno is the patron saint of curlews and his feast day is 21 April. Legend has it that the Seventh Century saint was sailing off the coast of Wales and dropped his prayer book into the water. A curlew is said to have scooped it up and brought it to safety.

Farmers and beekeepers create a buzz by sharing spraying news

Stuart Pearcey
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Farmers and beekeepers create a buzz by sharing spraying news
Farmers and beekeepers are better connected thanks to an online tool called BeeConnected, which connects beekeepers with farmers. The free app, currently connecting more than 3,000 beekeepers with almost 2,000 farmers, is designed to send anonymous notifications to surrounding beekeepers whenever crops are sprayed with insecticides.
It has been developed in association with the NFU, the British Beekeepers Association, and Croplife UK, and is funded and administered by the Voluntary Initiative. and .
The system works when triggered by farmers, who set up a ‘spray event’ when they apply insecticide to a field. This ‘event’ searches for beekeepers with hives within a 5km distance of the field and sends them an alert message. The beekeeper and farmer can also use the platform to communicate anonymously using the BeeMail internal messaging service. Beekeepers cannot see the location of individual fields and likewise, farmers cannot see the location of individual hives. The VI Farm Sprayer Operator Of The Year, Steve May, who is both a sprayer operator and beekeeper explains the benefits of the scheme: “BeeConnected gives me the best chance of warning local beekeepers that an insecticide may be applied and when it’s going to happen, allowing them to take any necessary action. It creates an invaluable link between local farmers and beekeepers.”
Steve is also the spray liaison officer in his local area and explained that, as he doesn’t have the phone numbers for many farmers or beekeepers due to GDPR rules, BeeConnected allows the two parties to come together without the unnecessary middleman. “It’s much quicker and can give more precise information on crop protection products being used and the area they are being used in. The BeeMail service is particularly good as the beekeeper can ask questions and this allows dialogue to strike up, which can lead to better understanding on both sides.”

Go-ahead given to plans for new hotel in Lincoln

Tess Egginton
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Go-ahead given to plans for new hotel in Lincoln
Plans for a new hotel in Lincoln, at the corner of Sincil Street and Waterside South, have been approved.
Lincolnshire Co-operative Ltd are behind the outline planning application for the currently vacant site, which is part of the wider Cornhill Quarter redevelopment scheme and close to the recent developments of the new Central Car Park and the City Bus Station. Formerly a Co-op shopping centre, all existing structures on the site will be demolished. The application also therefore proposes the demolition of the pedestrian footbridge across Melville Street. The six-storey proposed hotel would host up to 150 beds, with front of house and restaurant facilities provided at ground floor level.
A council document says: “It is considered that the proposed hotel will help meet the need for visitor accommodation in the city centre, and provide wider public benefits through improvements to public realm and increased activity to Melville Street, investment within the city and contributing to the vitality and viability of the city centre.”

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust works with Ørsted to restore Humber’s marine environments

Stuart Pearcey
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Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust works with Ørsted to restore Humber’s marine environments
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and its opposite number in Yorkshire are to work with renewable energy company Ørsted to launch Wilder Humber – a five-year environmental programme to restore marine habitats and species throughout the Humber estuary.
The estuary is one of the most important natural features and conservation sites in the UK, but its conservation status was downgraded to unfavourable condition by Natural England in 2012, attributed to habitat loss and commercial development, which resulted in the decline of habitats, such as sand dunes, saltmarsh, seagrass, and native oysters. These habitats are critical for marine biodiversity. For example, seagrass provides rich nursery habitats, breeding and feeding grounds for a vast array of species, including shore crabs, juvenile flatfish, bass, brent geese and other wading birds. Sadly, extensive seagrass loss has occurred in UK waters during the last 100 years, with recent research estimating that at least 44% of the UK’s seagrass has been lost since 1936, of which 39% has been since the 1980s. In efforts to reverse these major declines, the Wilder Humber programme is trialling a “seascape-scale” model, combining sand dune, saltmarsh, seagrass, and native oyster restoration to maximise conservation and biodiversity benefits across the estuary. The aim of the programme is to restore and enrich nearly 40 hectares of protected habitats and rebuild the Humber’s lost native oyster population to over half a million. 30 hectares of the overall 40-hectare ambition will focus on restoring lost seagrass meadow at Spurn Point, another key target for Wilder Humber. In addition to spearheading the restoration works, Wilder Humber will also work with local communities to tell the story of the restoration journey through community events and school engagement visits and provide volunteering opportunities to contribute to wildlife conservation in the Humber estuary. Benj Sykes, Head of Environment, Consents and External Affairs at Ørsted, said: “The diversity of life on planet Earth is our natural life-support system, but it’s being lost at an alarming rate. Climate change is accelerating this trend and it’s vital we address the global climate and biodiversity crises urgently. At Ørsted, we firmly believe that we can find ways to increase the build out of much-needed renewable energy whilst delivering a positive impact on nature. Through collaboration with conservation and restoration experts, like The Wildlife Trust, we want to pioneer biodiversity projects that will make a real and lasting difference. Our partnership with Lincolnshire and Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts is a major step towards that ambition in the UK.” As a global leader in offshore wind, Ørsted has set an industry-leading ambition that all new renewable energy projects it commissions from 2030, at the latest, should deliver a net-positive biodiversity impact. Through collaboration with the Trusts, Wilder Humber programme will provide a foundation for Ørsted’s biodiversity ambitions.

Partnership working gets large fly-tip cleared between Spalding and Cowbit

Tess Egginton
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Partnership working gets large fly-tip cleared between Spalding and Cowbit
Partnership working between South Holland District Council and Lincolnshire County Council has resulted in a large fly-tip being cleared at Drain Bank near Cowbit. South Holland District Council’s Enforcement team and Lincolnshire County Council staff worked with local landowners to gain access to the site of the fly-tip, the Council’s Parks and Open Spaces team then cleared shrubbery and undergrowth to gain access to the large fly-tip. Due to the size and nature of the fly-tip, which contained asbestos, rubble, garden waste and an assortment of household items, the clearance required an external contractor to support in the clearance. The work took a total of three days and Lincolnshire County Council then installed a series of concrete blocks at the entrance to the site to prevent further fly-tipping. A South Holland District Council spokesperson said: “This large fly-tip was a terrible eye-sore and showcased the severity of the challenges that we face. We are pleased to have worked with Lincolnshire County Council in a great example of Partnership working to get this site cleared. “We will continue to work with Partners to tackle fly-tipping and enviro-crime as a whole in the local area.”

David Medlock granted Freedom of Boston Borough at ceremony

Tess Egginton
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David Medlock granted Freedom of Boston Borough at ceremony

David Medlock has joined a prestigious list of people and organisations in Boston to be awarded the Honorary Freedom of the Borough.

Mr Medlock, who is chairman of the Medlock Trust, was awarded the Freedom at a ceremony on Monday, April 17 in recognition of his charity work to support people in Boston. The Medlock Charitable Trust was founded by David’s father, Leonard Medlock in 1985 and is a grant-making organisation focused on supporting all sectors of the community.  Leonard was an Old Boy of Boston Grammar School and was raised in Ingelow Avenue, Fenside, with his eight brothers and sisters. He went on to be awarded the Honorary Freedom of the Borough on April 26 1991. The funds originated from the Hebron and Medlock group of engineering companies established in 1951. The Trust’s emphasis is spreading donations across a lot of smaller grants to organisations for whom this money will have a transformative impact. The Trust is now run by Leonard’s son David Medlock, who took over the family charity and business when his father retired. £50m has been donated to various good causes across the UK and abroad. In its formative years, the Trust supported Hinton Court, Fenside Together with the bungalows in Joy Paine Close, St Mary’s Convent Boston, Medlock Voluntary Centre and Resource Centre, Church Lane. Over the last ten years the Borough has benefitted from over £2.5m in contributions to various good causes, including St Botolph’s Church, Boston College, St Barnabas Hospice, Boston Grammar School, SSAFA, Butterfly Hospice and the new Medlock House on the site of the old Duke of York public house. David, a keen Freemason, has worked in the company since 1980 and together with Leonard’s brothers Ron and Bernie assisted to make the company one of the leading engineering design consultancies in the country. Since selling the company David has increased his voluntary activities and since 2019 the Trust has contributed approximately £10m to good causes, the most significant being £1m to St John Ambulance for re-equipping their vehicles. David said that despite the family now being spread around the world, they all see Boston as their spiritual home and look forward to their return visits. He said of the Honour: “It’s with gratitude and humility I accept this, the highest honour which the Borough can bestow, may we be given many more years in which to work together.” David joins Professor Jonathan Van Tam who was awarded the Freedom of the Borough in 2021 and Alison Fairman in 2016 and many others going back to 1901. What is the Freedom of the Borough? The Freedom of the Borough is a high honour which is only awarded in exceptional circumstances where the prospective recipient is an individual or organisation of distinction that has rendered eminent services to the Borough. Having demonstrated outstanding achievements in the Borough and/or on the international stage which have brought pride and satisfaction to the Borough.

Lancaster crew prepares for history sortie to mark Dambusters’ anniversary

Stuart Pearcey
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Lancaster crew prepares for history sortie to mark Dambusters’ anniversary

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is readying itself to mark the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid which took place in on the night of 16th-17th May 1943.

The event, on May 16th, is planned to involve the BBMF’s iconic Lancaster bomber, based at RAF Coningsby, flying an extensive and tightly-scheduled two-hour sortie over Lincolnshire’s Bomber Command airfields. BBMF Operations Officer Flight Lieutenant Croft said: “We are working hard to produce an achievable plan that allows us to showcase the Lancaster, commemorate the unsung heroes of Bomber Command and also incorporate the tasking we already had for the evening of 16th May.” He added that the Lancaster sortie for that evening included far more flypast locations than would normally be planned in a single flight, and was subject to appropriate visibility and favourable weather. The route over Lincolnshire includes:
  • Spitalgate – 6:58pm
  • Fulbeck – 7:02pm
  • Swinderby – 7:04pm
  • RAF Waddington – 7:07pm
  • International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln – 7:08pm
  • Skellingthorpe  – 7:12pm
  • Scampton – 7:15pm
  • Dunholme – 7:16pm
  • Wickenby – 7:18pm
  • Faldingworth – 7:19pm
  • Ingham – 7:21pm
  • Hemswell Cliff – 7:22pm
  • Blyton – 7:24pm
  • Elsham Wolds – 7.30pm
  • Kirmington – 7.31pm
  • North Killingholme – 7.32pm
  • Grimsby – 7.37pm
  • Binbrook – 7.39pm
  • Ludford – 7.41pm
  • Kelstern – 7.42pm
  • Strubby – 7.47pm
  • Spilsby – 7.51pm
  • East Kirkby – 7.53pm
  • Bardney – 7.58pm
  • Fiskerton – 8pm
  • Metheringham – 8.03pm
  • Woodall Spa – 8.05pm
  • RAF Coningsby – 8.07pm

College opens Modern Methods of Construction Centre

Tess Egginton
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College opens Modern Methods of Construction Centre

The grand opening of the Modern Methods of Construction Centre at Stamford College was celebrated among local dignitaries, stakeholders, Inspire Education Group (IEG) staff and Stamford College students, in a ceremony that recognised the wealth of opportunities conceived from the £3.3 million facility.

The 900 sq m upgrade to the College’s existing facilities, which was designed by Waterland Architects and built by Lindum, comes after substantial growth in recent student applications; around fifteen per cent more each year. Jointly funded by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Department for Education Post-16 Capital Funding, the Modern Methods of Construction Centre is now the primary learning facility for over 500 additional plumbing, carpentry, brickwork and electrical installation students, working to bridge the estimated 49,000 person skills shortage within the Eastern region. Pat Doody, outgoing chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “The LEP’s £2.1m investment in this scheme recognises the need for a skilled workforce in the construction and engineering sectors, responding to the emerging requirements of modern methods of construction. “Not only will the project create new opportunities for future students, but it will also meet the needs of local employers, address local and regional skills gaps and directly contribute to local, regional and national economies, enabling an innovative and employer-focused curriculum and accommodating forecast high demand.” The building itself reflects its responsibility to teach and provide learn­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties that reflect the rapid evo­lu­tion of the construc­tion indus­try through automa­tion, car­bon reduc­tion and the increased use of pre­fab­ri­ca­tion. 56 solar panels were installed on the roof as a source of renewable energy within the College, air-source heat pumps heat the building, and its bricks have been sourced from envi­ron­men­tal­ly friend­ly man­u­fac­tur­ers to ensure the car­bon foot­print of the build­ing is min­imised. The build will now house six retrofit courses, designed to prepare the construction workforce of the future to meet the UK’s legal­ly bind­ing com­mit­ment to be car­bon neu­tral by 2050.

New jobs to be created as almost 17 acres of North Lincolnshire land and property bought by Rainham Steel Company

Tess Egginton
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New jobs to be created as almost 17 acres of North Lincolnshire land and property bought by Rainham Steel Company
Major investment is to lead to the creation of up to 60 new jobs following a deal in which independent international steel stockholder and distributor Rainham Steel Company has bought almost 17 acres of commercial land and properties in North Lincolnshire. The business, which already services the UK, European and world markets from a 70 acre site and distribution facility in Scunthorpe, is to use the Althorpe Wharf site, in Station Road, Keadby, as a base for manufacturing reinforcement bar products. The sale of the land, which was owned by RMS Trent Ports Limited, included open storage land and a number of industrial warehousing facilities, with a deal close to asking price agreed. Rainham Steel Company is now to invest around £3.5m into developing the site over the coming year, installing plants and machinery in the existing facilities on site. Longer term plans are to build a dedicated new building on site. The company supplies major steel fabricators, stockholders, construction companies, civil engineers and builders’ merchants, employing more than 180 members of staff. It already has four other sites in Scunthorpe. The land had previously been used by RMS Trent Ports Limited to stock a variety of mainly bulk and steel based imports and exports. The company, which handles all types from cargo through the Humber ports, turned to Hull-based commercial property specialists Garness Jones to sell the site after it became surplus to their business requirements. Francis Micallef, operations director at Rainham Steel, said: “This is a really exciting announcement as we are going to be making a significant investment into this site to transform it into a northern reinforcement bar manufacturing site, adding to a similar one we have down south. “We’ll initially be creating around 20 new jobs at the site, and we expect that number to increase to around 60 new jobs over the course of the year, as the site becomes fully operational. “We’d actually looked around the site a few years ago as we’ve always enjoyed a good working relationship with RMS Trent Ports through their importing of steel. It wasn’t quite the right time then, but when we saw it on the market recently it was the perfect time and opportunity for us to add this new manufacturing facility. “It’s obviously very pleasing to be able to put this large site into good use, expanding our operations and creating new employment in the region. We also have plans to reopen the Wharf on site in the future too.” Chris Hyam, senior surveyor at Garness Jones, handled the deal and said: “We are delighted to have secured this sale for our client RMS Trent Ports Limited, as the site had become surplus to requirements for them. “Following a short period of marketing we had strong levels of interest from developers and owner occupiers. “It is an excellent acquisition for Rainham Steel, as they have secured a large site which can meet their expanding manufacturing and storage needs. “The existing buildings allow for immediate expansion of their manufacturing processes and the surplus land allows for potential future development. It is a great deal for the local economy given it is leading to further significant investment and new jobs.”
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