£2.95 MARCH 2024 THE REGION’S FAVOURITE COUNTY MAGAZINE WWW.LINCOLNSHIRETODAY.NET www.blmgroup.co.uk BLM GROUP GROUP BLM £2.95 MARCH 2024THE REGION’S FAVOURITE COUNTY MAGAZINE Farm & Country Link Homes and gardens Health and fitness Woodhall Spa Farm & Country Link Homes and gardens Health and fitness Woodhall Spalacebybymanor.coou.uk/k/sspaIs that an election we smell in the air or is it the drums of war, or perhaps just the sensation of a recession we probably all knew was in place even before it got announced? No matter where you look, the news is miserable and it’s easy to get bogged down and let that ruin your day, week or month. Combating the deluge of negative news delivered to your phones and screens is hard work, but the best cure has always been to leave the screens behind and get out there into the sun and outdoors – and with warmer weather (along with some showers) creeping across Lincolnshire, this may be the month to do it. With the last of the snow and frost hopefully behind us, now is the perfect time to rediscover the outdoorsperson within you – be that by going hiking, camping, or just visiting a new town or village you haven’t before and having a wander around. I dare say there are people who have lived in Lincolnshire all their lives who have never visited some of the small and delightful places across the county. There’s a lot more to see than people realise. While you’re at it, pop into a local restaurant or pub, or visit a local boutique if your finances allow. The recession we’ve entered may only be a technical one (a small amount of negative growth rather than the absolute CRASH of 2009) but that still means small and local businesses suffer the worst. The supermarket chains will get by just fine shrinking the sizes of our products and cheating us out of money, and they’ll go unchecked if everyone never points that out and lets the locals go out of business. Now more than ever, in such uncertain times, we encourage people to get out there and enjoy themselves, because nothing lasts forever and you may long for the opportunity once it’s gone. Good reading, as always. Michael Fisher Editor and the Lincolnshire Today team from the editor Group Editor: Steve Fisher Editor: Michael Fisher Journalist: 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 FRONT COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF STOCK.ADOBE.COM/SLOWMOTIONGLI 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? LincolnshireToday @lincstoday lincolnshiretoday.net The magazine that cares WE CARE because we want to leave our world a better place than we found it Lincolnshire Today believes that being socially and environmentally responsible is the key to maintaining a flourishing business that our customers will be pleased to use and our staff will be proud to be part of. Community - From a very local point of view, we strive to be a ‘good neighbour’. We also extend that into the much broader local community, through financial support of local causes and charities. Environment - Our actions extend to: conservation of energy and natural resources, minimisation of waste and ensuring our trading partners do likewise.Features 6 THIS MONTH IN LINCOLNSHIRE What’s been going on in the county this month? 26WELCOME TO WOODHALL SPA We explore the fascinating history of Woodhall Spa, and why it’s one of Lincolnshire’s cultural and shopping hotspots. 32A STYLISH SPRING A new season offers the ideal opportunity to test out a new look. 38EXTRA FLAIR Give your outfits some oomph with a couple of accessories. 40COOL & CASUAL A new season of menswear has arrived. Lincolnshire Today looks at some effortlessly cool ensembles to don this Spring. 42A FRESH NEW LOOK FOR SPRING A time associated with new beginnings; Spring is the perfect time for changing up your look. This season, we’re seeing an evolution of existing trends, particularly the “glazed doughnut” skin and minimalist makeup, to include more edge. 44THE BENEFITS OF PRIVATE HEALTHCARE At a time when the NHS is struggling, more and more people are looking into the viability and costs of private healthcare. 48EXCITING FOODS Warmer weather opens up more options for exotic foods, so why not get adventurous in the kitchen this month. 58SPRING MOTORS The first two months of the year can often feel a little slow on the new motors front, but we bring you a few more offerings for personal pleasure, family, or fleet purposes. 62WHAT’S ON There’s always something going on in Lincolnshire. MARCH A NEW SEASON OFFERS THE IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO TEST OUT A NEW LOOK. contentsFOUR YEARS AFTER LEAVING THE EU, THE UK FINDS ITSELF AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE REGARDING ITS FOOD SECURITY. AS THE COUNTRY’S KEY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCER, LINCOLNSHIRE BEARS THE BURDEN MORE THAN OTHERS. 68PROVIDING A LIFELINE For families grappling with the complexities of caring for a loved one, home-based care can be a lifeline, especially in these economically uncertain times. Desirable homes 10PARK HOME LIFE Whether you’re considering downsizing, releasing equity, or simply seeking a more fulfilling retirement lifestyle Ashfield Park beckons retirees to explore the benefits of park home living firsthand. We speak with Ashfield Park directly to find out what’s drawing so many people to such a life. 12AN IMMACULATE TRANSFORMATION This month’s featured home is set within an historic and immaculately converted Lincoln building dating back to the 1700s. 18NATURAL BEAUTY Allan Morgan’s bold and colourful pieces are filled with life. 20CREATING A WONDERFUL WATER GARDEN Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping gives tips on how to build your perfect water garden. 22A BUMBLEBEE FRIENDLY GARDEN The humble bumblebee is a vital helper in our gardens, pollinating plants as well as key crops such as apples, tomatoes, and peas, but it is under threat. How can we assist them in the garden? Farm & Country Link 52FARM & COUNTRY LINK NEWS The latest news from across the countryside. 54A CRITICAL JUNCTURE Four years after leaving the EU, the UK finds itself at a critical juncture regarding its food security. As the country’s key fruit and vegetable producer, Lincolnshire bears the burden more than others. Hospice staff ‘thrilled’ to be named Imps’ charity partner Generous donation to support premature babies and their families A team of RAF colleagues have flown into action to support the hospital unit that cared for a colleague’s premature baby. Vienna Margarson was born at 25 weeks weighing 730 grams. Her parents say the care and support they and Vienna received on the Neonatal Unit at Lincoln County Hospital was simply amazing. Vienna’s parents joined forces with friends and family, as well as Corporal Margarson’s colleagues from the RAF Waddington gymnasium, to raise funds for the unit. The gym staff held an 880 mile sponsored Watt Bike ride in the Waterside Shopping Centre to mark the 88 days of care Vienna received in hospital. They also held numerous raffles with prizes that included a signed Lincoln City football shirt and hampers donated by local businesses. Corporal Margarson’s nan Sylvia also organised a bingo event in North Somercotes that was really well supported. Together they raised £3,553. Supporters of Lincoln City have voted for St Barnabas Hospice to be one of two charity partners of the club for the 2024 season. The vote was extremely close, with the club receiving thousands of votes. The supporters’ decision means that St Barnabas will now be working closely with the football club, alongside other charity partners Marie Curie Lincolnshire, Lincoln City Foundation and Samaritans. Liam Scully, CEO of Lincoln City FC, said: “At the heart of compassion, St Barnabas Hospice embodies the unwavering commitment to provide solace and support to those navigating life’s most challenging moments. “We stand proud in our partnership with St Barnabas, applauding the profound impact of their compassionate care in our local community, and we look forward to promoting their good work across the year.” Lincoln City FC charity partners are allocated main priority for fundraising support and profile awareness supported by the club throughout the year in the hope of raising more important funds for their causes. Freemasons from Horncastle have welcomed members of the town’s Rugby Club to the town’s Masonic Centre on Banks Street to give them £1,000 – £500 towards all- weather jackets to keep their substitutes warm on the side- lines and a further £500 to spend on mobile lighting to make winter training easier. The £500 for jackets came from members of the Olive Union Lodge, and the lighting money from the Horncastle Masonic Centre and Horncastle Masonic Benevolent Fund, both of which gave £250. As well as members from Olive Union Lodge, others from Bolingbroke Castle Lodge, the Round Table Lodge of Lincolnshire, Rudyard Kipling Lodge and Sir Joseph Banks Daylight Lodge were all there to help entertain the rugby players, who were treated to a tour of the building and a brief talk on Freemasonry before retiring to the bar. latest news Freemasons’ gift helps rugby players tackle the cold and dark Image courtesy of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust © stock.adobe.com/anekohoInspection finds serious tree disease in Cleethorpes Following an inspection by trees and woodlands officers, it has been confirmed that a number of the trees in Cleethorpes are in a state of decline due to the presence of Dutch Elm Disease. The disease is one of the most serious tree diseases in the world. Dutch Elm Disease was first introduced in Britain in the 1920s, killing 10 to 40 percent of all elm trees. It then returned in the 1960s when a more aggressive species of the fungus was accidentally introduced. Currently, there are 15 trees which have the disease along the boundary of Kings Road and the Lakeside car park. Due to the extent of the infection, eight of them have already been recommended for removal. The other 45 trees in the zone will continue to be monitored and actioned accordingly. North East Lincolnshire Council are looking to remove those clearly infected and replace them with suitable replacements for the local environment. Removing these trees will help to prevent the spread of the infection. Lincoln-based Streets Chartered Accountants has hosted their tenth annual Charity Golf Day raising a record amount of more than £8,000 for the Air Ambulance. The total amount fundraised will be divided between three regional charities; East Anglian Air Ambulance, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The winning team on the day was Varley Orthopaedics with Civil Recovery Solutions coming in second and The One Group in third place. The winners of the Longest Drive and Nearest the Pin competitions were Adam Aisthorpe and Paul Ward respectively. Streets would like to say a huge thank you to all those people who sponsored, donated, gave their time and helped in some way, without whom the day would not be possible. The event received fantastic support with 23 teams taking part and more than 30 local businesses sponsoring the day. There were Stableford team prizes as well as competitions such as Longest Drive, Nearest the Pin, Beat the Pro, All four hit the Green and Hole in One. Golf day secures hole in one for air ambulance Image courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council Community Diagnostic Centre a step closer for Grimsby as works get underway The NHS’s Community Diagnostic Centre has started works on over 18,000 sq ft of space at Freshney Place Shopping Centre, with refurbishment works getting underway in preparation for a summer opening. The new facility will provide the local community with better access to NHS services through its central location, providing a range of non-urgent test facilities, including non-obstetric ultrasounds, electrocardiograms, and X-Rays. It is aimed to provide 150,000 additional health checks a year and will remove the need to attend acute hospital sites. Cllr Philip Jackson, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “We’ve been working on this with the NHS for some months now, and I’m pleased work is going to start on creating this new facility for our residents.” Hoardings have been erected and the CDC will be located in five currently vacant units on Baxtergate, along with Boots, Waterstones, HMV and Costa. It is expected to open this summer. © stock.adobe.com/sebraCrowle gets government cash to support peat preservation The government has given £264,000 to explore how peat on Crowle Moors near Scunthorpe can be regenerated and flooding managed. The money has been given to Reedness and Swinefleet Internal Drainage Board, and the research is expected to extend to Thorne and Goole Moors as well. The award is part of a series worth a total of £1.3m intended to improve lowland peat soils. Peatlands are our largest terrestrial carbon store, however as a result of centuries of drainage for agriculture, just 1% of England’s lowland peatlands remain in a near-natural state, and these drained peatlands account for 88% of all greenhouse gas emissions from England’s peat. The projects will use government funding to improve the management of water on lowland peat and enhance understanding of climate change impacts and flood risk. latest news Work begins on Starbucks drive-thru at Grimsby business park Construction has begun on a Starbucks drive- thru café at Europarc, the business location on the south bank of the Humber. The coffee house will serve the growing community of workers and visitors to developer Wykeland Group’s Europarc business park in Grimsby. The 1,800 sq ft, single storey drive-thru and eat-in café will have additional external seating and 22 car parking spaces, including four electric vehicle charging bays. Construction work has now begun, with the facility expected to open its doors this summer. Having successfully taken the Starbucks facility through the planning process, securing approval from North East Lincolnshire Council, Wykeland has sold the site to property and development company Burney Group, which will deliver and let the café to Starbucks franchise K Beverage. Developed and owned by Wykeland, Europarc has more than 800,000 sq ft of business space, with over 2,500 people employed on site. Blue chip occupiers include supermarket giant Morrisons, Humber Seafood Institute, Ultimate Packaging, the Hain Daniels Group and 2 Sisters Food Group. Lincoln Print & Copy reach 45th anniversary Going into our 45th year of trading, at Lincoln Print & Copy Centre we have been in business through a number of difficult trading times as well as good, with some interesting challenges along the way. This year we have refreshed our website to help customers find exactly what they need, and also invested in a new Xerox mono print production press, this is ideal for great quality black and greyscale printing still used by many businesses and organisations. We work for many local small businesses, public organisations, clubs, societies and charities providing the best print solutions for customers in the Lincoln area and beyond, our aim is to give a speedy, good value service to help these organisations do what they do best, keeping the Lincolnshire economy vibrant. With experienced and friendly staff, a modern range of equipment and carefully chosen suppliers, we can adapt to suit each customer’s requirements, offering a same day service on many items, customers get the rapid response required when what they need changes. © stock.adobe.com/Stockfotos-MG © Neil Holmes PhotographyCenter Parcs continues to delight after 37 years Center Parcs has been wowing visitors for over 37 years, and one of our team decided to spend some time there this year to see how much has changed since when she visited in her early twenties. Now older and with grandchildren of her own, she says Center Parcs remains the most family- friendly staycation out there. This year, with a one-year-old in tow, they decided to go a step further and book the use of a cabana in Cabana Cove - a secluded area offering access to a relaxing whirlpool exclusively for the use of Cabana Cove guests. Situated in the Subtropical Swimming Paradise, where the pools are kept at a comfortable 29.5 degrees, Cabana Cove is designed to offer a place of peace and sanctuary where loved ones and family can relax together. "The cove really is perfect for those with young children especially, as not only is it great fun for the older ones to play in the main pool, but you have a safe and private base to return to with a newborn. You can also get food and drink delivered to your cabana, and the staff are incredibly hard-working and friendly." For more information visit www.centerparcs.co.uk Next >