< Previous10 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY INTERNATIONAL BOMBER COMMAND CENTRE O ther operations were put together to enable the D- Day landings to take place. Whether by bombing munitions sites, disabling transport or by deceiving German forces. Op Crossbow was the campaign against German V-Weapons such as the V-1 cruise missile, the V-2 ballistic missile, the V-3 ‘supergun’ and the German atomic weapon research programme. The Transportation Plan was devised to slow the movement of men and materials from Germany and Eastern France to Normandy. The strategic phase was conducted during the 3 months leading to D-Day by targeting locomotives of the French railways. Seventy-five major stations, engine sheds and marshalling yards were identified for attack, with the aim of slowing rail traffic, forcing logistic support through railway choke points and on to the slower road system. The strategic phase ended 3 days prior to D- Day. Armoured Concentrations, Barracks and Ammunition/Logistics Parks. Alongside the Transportation Plan, attacks were scheduled against the major Wehrmacht garrisons in France and western Germany to weaken their strength and potency as a reserve. Operation TITANIC would see dummy parachutists, augmented by various pyrotechnic and audio devices. Operations Glimmer and Taxable were carried out on the night of 5th/6th June, in the early stages of D-Day. Their collective purpose was to deceive the enemy into believing that the landings were taking place on alternative beaches to the ones actually designated. Operations Glimmer and Taxable were carried out in an identical way, each simulating a fleet approaching a different beach. The basic premise was to create the illusion of a large, slow moving fleet of sea craft moving from the southern shores of England towards the Pas-de- Calais area in the hope that the German defences would be moved to that area and away from the actual landing grounds, after which they could be corralled by repeated bombing, hindering their ability to move back again once they inevitably realised they had been duped. Operation Bodyguard together with a wider series of deceptions, the purpose of which was to reinforce the German belief that the landings were to be attempted at Calais. Honouring their work On the 6th June 2024 we will be commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, also known as Operation Overlord. This saw the Allied invasion forces landing at Normandy’s beaches and start the drive into occupied Europe. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 11 INTERNATIONAL BOMBER COMMAND CENTRE Aircraft from Bomber Command and groups of small boats worked in concert to create this illusion, the former by dropping Window and the latter both by towing large, radar-reflective balloons and by creating radio traffic of a type that the Germans would associate with a large flotilla. These were complex operations requiring coordination between air and naval forces and precise timing to be effective. Operation Glimmer was to give the illusion of approaching Pas-de-Calais (north of the actual landing grounds), whilst Taxable moved in the direction of Cap d’Antifer (south of the actual landing grounds). The bombers for the former were provided solely by 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron whereas the latter, a larger force, was provided solely by 617 (Dambusters) Squadron. To find out more about these events and others visit www.internationalbcc.co.uk/events The IBCC will be remembering D-Day with a series of events including recreated RAF briefings, a free afternoon concert with Lincolnshire’s very own Blighty Belles and then an evening event including: •Prosecco reception accompanied by the Military Wives Choir •Three course dinner with Sir Winston Churchill (AKA as Steve) providing a rousing speech •Beacon Lighting at the Spire •Dance the rest of the evening away with the Blighty Belles “Hitler built a fortress around Europe, but he forgot to put a roof on it.” Franklin D Roosevelt Photo courtesy of IBCC Digital Archive12 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES Earning itself a spot on the sought-after village of Navenby’s Heritage Trail, this month’s featured property is imbued with history. HOMES history B elieved to be the oldest house in Navenby, Dial House is a well-preserved piece of history with a wealth of local significance. The stunning Grade II Listed property was once home to the village sun dial from which it takes its name, in the time of the Civil Wars it is thought to have been a hostelry, and it even has a priest hole, adding weight to rumours that there used to be a passage from the abode to the church. As a site embodying 15 Á history 14 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAYLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 15 HOMES the Cliff Village’s past, today the stone dwelling appears in the Navenby Datestones and Heritage Trail. Attracted to its architectural features, period character, and central location in Navenby, the current owner purchased the property three years ago, and has since undertaken careful restoration works to get the home in a condition more akin to how it would have looked traditionally. “When we bought the home, it had been heavily restored and changed, with the 1960s seeing a man called Major-General Levis completing substantial works and fully joining together what we believe was originally either four or five properties,” they shared. “Unfortunately, due to the materials used in the 60s, the pointing work they carried out damaged quite a lot of the stone. Because of this, the major task we wanted to complete was removing the cement pointing so the house could be repointed back in traditional lime mortar. It has been pretty extensive and we ensured to hire a local restorer who uses a very old traditional lime mix. Now the lime mortar pointing and the stone work actually look as they should and were meant to be.” Exuding history, Dial House is also well- known in the village for its 150 year old wisteria. Draping across the front of the home, at this time of year the wisteria welcomes you to the door with a whimsical wash of purple. Stepping inside, one is greeted by the entrance hall with stripped wooden flooring and exposed beam work, before turning left into the living room — the owner’s favourite room in the home. With exposed beams and a striking stone inglenook fireplace with a multi fuel stove, and original bread oven, the large room further benefits from a bay window overlooking the garden and double doors 16 Á16 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HOMES opening onto the terrace. “The fireplace is probably the most impressive part of the house,” the owner enthused, “and uniquely, the main beam that goes over it is from an old ship, like other timbers utilised when rebuilding the house in the 60s.” Returning to the entrance hall to explore the rest of the ground floor, a WC and a further reception room can be found ahead of the kitchen/breakfast room with its range of wall and base units, AGA and range cooker, and inviting seating area overlooking the garden. The rear hallway connects, providing access to the boiler and utility room, as well as a study and conservatory. A staircase in the study rises to a bedroom with an en-suite shower room, perfect for giving guests their own space. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 17 HOMES Visit Grimsby’s Premier Fireplace Showroom. Over 75 beautiful displays. Bespoke made to measure & in-house Gas Safe & HETAS installation services available. Burning Sensation Fireplaces Armstrong Street – Grimsby – DN31 1XD www.burningsensation.co.uk Call: 01472 351651 Email: sales@burningsensation.co.uk The remainder of the first floor can be reached via a staircase at the abode’s entrance hall. Here, the first floor offers a light and open landing, and presents access to a family bathroom and three bedrooms, including the master with its en-suite bathroom and dressing room. The property also holds a substantial loft. Open beamed, this space used to be servants’ quarters, and still contains remnants from this time, such as a shelf carved out in the stone work and a hatch. Outside the home, which sits in approximately one third of an acre, gorgeous gardens await, alongside a variety of useful outbuildings, from the potting shed to the four car garage with storage above. Landscaped gardens run to the side and rear of the property and while primarily laid to lawn host established beds, colourful planting, and even a rose garden. Terraces provide a plethora of alfresco dining and seating areas from which to appreciate the idyllic setting, and there is also a pond and summer house, behind which another wisteria runs the length of the garden walls. “I particularly enjoy the rear garden,” the owner noted, “because it is fully enclosed like a courtyard, almost feels like a walled garden, and is very private.” The property also has a gravelled driveway offering an additional entrance to the home, as well as a double car port, creating ample off road parking for several vehicles. While the owner has loved “owning a piece of history,” Dial House is now on the market with Mount & Minster with a guide price of £795,000. 18 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY TOP BARN TIMBER FRAMES Q&A Can you tell us a little about yourselves? My husband, Oliver, is a joiner by trade. He has run his own business for over 13 years and had been taking on more and more timber framing focussed projects. We built our own timber framed barn conversion and over time have realised there is a huge demand for timber framing in our area, with very few quality framers available. We therefore set up Top Barn Timber Frames in 2021, and have seen the natural growth of the business take on another 3 lads in the workshop, including our workshop director James, who is probably the most experienced framer in the county. Oliver’s general joinery and site experience also enables us to offer full turnkey projects for our clients. Whilst we focus on just the timber frame, we have a strategic supply chain which enables us to assist clients with everything from the footings, to the electrics, and plastered finish. We focus very much on bespoke projects specifically tailored to our customers requirements. We don’t standardise anything, which ensures we put quality as our foremost priority. What kinds of structures do you build and do you install them as well? We construct anything our clients require, from a small canopy porch to a full timber framed home. We do a lot of garden rooms, carports, orangeries and garden structures. We find more people are looking to outdoor living spaces with outdoor kitchens. We can design and build anything our customers require, no matter how big or small. All of our work is bespoke and custom designed for the customer, utilising natural products and traditional construction techniques. All our frames utilise mortice and tenoned joints, with handmade pegs, ensuring strength and longevity. Our priority is on creating a lasting product worthy of being admired. The spaces we create are retreats for our customers as the frames add so much character, and our designs can offer complete versality. This is especially valuable in areas of natural beauty or conservational regions Q&A Top Barn Timber Frames We speak with Charlotte Penn, of Top Barn Timber Frames, to find out about her and her husband's luxury timber framing family business. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 19 TOP BARN TIMBER FRAMES Q&A because the local councils tend to have a positive view of these kinds of frames, which can often mean getting planning permission when other additions might be rejected. When it comes to installation, the majority of our work we complete the full build for our customers. However, for those far away our frames can be provided in kit form. Everything is designed and made to slot together like a jigsaw puzzle with most of our frames going up in just a couple of days on site, so a local builder or even the homeowners themselves for the simpler frames will be able to put it together. How can a customer go about getting a custom build from yourselves? Can they bring ideas or a problem they want solving to you, and get your expertise on the design and implementation? The first thing to do is come and talk to us about design. Some people decide they want a timber construction and know exactly what they want, but often it's a case of people knowing roughly what they want but need assistance refining the design. We help people consider how a frame will be used and interact with their current space. We consider details such as whether they have a specific view they want framing, or hiding, or for garden structures if they want it open to elements or closed and sheltered. There are a lot of little details that we can help with, and we're able to make up a CGI imaging of the prospective construction, allowing you to not only look around it digitally, but also to choose colours for the inside, place furniture and get a look at how it'll look when it's finished and fully decorated. Seeing that can sometimes help people realise they want to make a change here or incorporate something there. We've also had people come to us with a problem and asked for our expertise solving it, and we've plenty of experience to draw from. Do you have any advice for people looking to have a timber frame home conversion or a timber building in their garden? I think the biggest thing for people to ask themselves is for what purpose they want the construction, and what it's going to be used for. That should influence the design in a major way. We also work closely with people to help get the most out of their frame within their budget requirements. Considerations such as reducing size of glazing panels but having more of them can shave off more money then people realise. Where planning is required, it is useful to consider how the build will interact with the local landscape and your existing home. We work with local architects to assist in refining the design in line with potential planning contentions. Overall though I would say just come talk to us. Timber frames are a beautiful and sustainable addition to any home so if you are considering it but not sure where to start then feel free to call and book an appointment to come see us. If you are looking for ideas or inspiration, be sure to check out our gallery on our website for images of works we've completed already. For more information or to see more examples of Charlotte and Oliver's work, visit www.topbarntimberframes.co.uk or call 01673 260105Next >