< Previous© Alford Craft Market 60 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY LOUTH AND ALFORD swimming. Speaking of the Meridian, Louth sits on the Greenwich Meridian – which separates east from west in the same way the equator separates north from south. There’s a plaque in Eastgate marking the line which has become a popular photo opportunity and as a point of pilgrimage for tourists. On Cannon Street is Louth’s Playhouse Cinema with its impressive art deco frontage, converted from a Victorian chapel in 1920. As well as packing in the punters with the typical blockbusters, the cinema offers independent and art house films, as well as live-streams of ballet and theatre performances. As well as film and theatre, Louth also has a vibrant music scene focussed around its independent record store, Off The Beaten Tracks. Here you can find out all about local bands and musicians and LEAKE'S MASONRY Ltd Eve Street, Louth, Lincs LN11 0JJ Phone: 01507 604 828 • Fax: 01507 600 826 leakesmasonry.co.uk • leakesmasonry@aol.com A Third Century of Stonemasonry Craftsmanship From Leake's Masonry A professional family-run business having been established in Louth for 100 years. We were very proud to have been entrusted with the repairs and renovation to the damaged Louth War Memorial. The Half Moon Hotel is the perfect place to stay when visiting Alford, the Lincolnshire Wolds or the East Coast. Offering 17 en-suite bedrooms, including single, twin, double and family rooms. In addition we have ground floor rooms, dog friendly rooms and a disabled friendly suite in a beautiful garden setting. Our restaurant ethos is to “support local” and “fresh first” and our menu includes fresh local ingredients with weekly specials. Our Sunday Roast Dinner is served from 12noon. Enjoy our cosy pub atmosphere, or a drink in our restaurant lounge. • Off street parking • Beer garden • Function Room for 60 guests with tailor made package Tel: 01507 463477 | Email: info@halfmoonhotelalford.co.uk www.halfmoonhotelalford.co.uk 25-28 West Street, Alford, Lincolnshire LN13 9DG 56-62.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:16 Page 5www.askewsfurniture.co.uk 01507 462 936 The Former Methodist Church, West Street, Alford, Lincolnshire, LN13 9DU EST. 1992 01507 462336 info@riggallsremovals.co.uk www.riggallsremovals.co.uk A Family Business Proudly Celebrating Over 60 Years Of Removals & Storage High quality Gold, Silver & Diamond Jewellery Main agents for Citizen, Lorus, Iron Annie and Zeppelin Watches Pre Owned Rolex Watches In-house Repairs & Engraving Ear Piercing Celebrating 40 Years Trading in Louth Butcher Lane, Louth Lincolnshire LN11 9JG. Tel: 01507 604029 www.striacroft.co.uk info@striacroft.co.uk BID ONLINE thesaleroom.com The home of art & antiques auctions The Wolds auctioneers with a world market. Monthly auctions attracting online international bids Discover quickly what your items are worth using our online virtual valuation tool at www.johntaylors.com or contact us to arrange a home visit. The Woolmart Auction Rooms, Kidgate, Louth LN11 9EQ Tel 01507 611107 auctions@johntaylors.com www.johntaylors.com Painting by Herbert Rollett SOLD £1,700 Pair of bronze Japanese vases SOLD £2,700 Silver ‘Warwick’ bowl SOLD £2,300 Diamond solitaire ring SOLD £15,500 Ercol day bed SOLD £900 Ruskin vase SOLD £860 56-62.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:17 Page 662 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY LOUTH AND ALFORD the nearby Pump House Recording Studio. What’s more, the shop is always busy, particularly on Saturday mornings where folks of all ages come in for the diverse selection of vinyl and CDs. Although record shops are few and far between these days, Off The Beaten Tracks is enjoying the vinyl revival and maintaining a crucial part of Louth’s cultural identity. There’s a healthy music scene in Alford too with the Alford Acoustic Music Club – formerly the Alford Folk Club – holding meetings every month for musicians to play to a warm crowd and enjoy a real ale or two. Our market towns are filled with independent, successful and family-run businesses with Louth and Alford both boasting some of the county’s very best. Family-run department store Eve & Ranshaw is the oldest business in Louth having originally been opened by Adam Eve in 1781 at 1 Market Place, where it is still based to this day. One of Alford’s most successful businesses is Askews Furniture Retailer, a second-generation furniture retailer housed in the former Wesleyan Chapel. Louth and Alford offer everything one could ever want for with brilliant shopping opportunities, artisan food makers, boutiques, family-run businesses, quirky attractions and a perimeter of natural beauty. As high streets and shops re-emerge out the other side of the pandemic, our market towns and traders need your support now more than ever. © Shutterstock /Andrew Barclay Award Winning Butchers in Louth offering Fresh Meat Delivery 29-31 Mercer Row, Louth LN11 9JG Tel: 01507 603230 Email: orders@woolliss-butchers.co.uk woolliss-butchers.co.uk Woolliss & Son Butchers Delivery is within an 8 mile radius of Louth, including Grimsby, Cleethorpes and surrounding villages. Minimum order for delivery is £20. • DN31 – £5 • DN32 – £5 • DN33 – £5 • DN34 – £7 • DN35 – £5 • DN36 – £5 • DN37 – £5 • LN7 – £7 • LN8 – £7 • LN9 – £7 • LN11 – FREE • LN12 – £7 • LN13 – £5 We consider ourselves very traditional but also very modern. We not only offer a wide selection of quality meats but also a range of home-made pastries and pies. 56-62.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:17 Page 7LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 63 CARING © Shutterstock /T onyV31 12 Growing older isn’t always the flip of a coin some make it out to be. There’s no sudden age at which someone needs care, and some people can live much more independent lives without ever requiring a care home. It differs from person to person and each individual needs to be considered in their own light. That said, the transitional period where one begins to grow older does have some common themes, and these hold true whether you’re intending to stay in your own home or thinking about looking at care-assisted accommodation or even a care home. The biggest of these problems is that of mobility. Mobility is something we take for granted in life – it’s been present ever since we were babies and something that feels like a right by the time you’re an adult. As we grow older, however, that taken for granted capability begins to dwindle. Obviously, there are many factors to this – skeletal, diet, fitness – but even the most graceful of people will experience some degree of problems. Fortunately, we don’t live in a world where this goes ignored. Technology exists to make our lives easier and this holds true for mobility both around the home and outside it. There are many ways to adapt a home to suit older age. These include stairlifts for mobility, through to specialised walk-in baths all the way down to a buzzer system at a door – so the tenant need not exert themselves whenever the door rings. A lot of people choose to downsize as well – moving out of large homes that are difficult to clean and maintain when movement is impaired. There used to be a big push for bungalows for the elderly and there still are plenty of over 55 residential developments on the market, but with the quality and affordability of stairlifts getting better and better, there’s no strict need to eschew a second floor now. In fact, the legal costs and time involved in finding, buying and moving to a new home could easily eclipse the cost of bringing contractors in to make a home more mobility friendly. That’s something worth considering, Staying mobile 64 Á We take for granted our ability to come and go as we please. When we grow older and that is taken away from us, how will we cope? We take for granted our ability to come and go as we please. When we grow older and that is taken away from us, how will we cope? 63-65.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:22 Page 164 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY CARING too – bringing a professional in to identify the spots in the home where problems might occur. It stands to reason that if a person is considering such aspects, they’re still relatively new to growing old. Professionals will have done this a hundred times before, however, and so will be able to point out parts people struggle with that someone might have never thought of. It’s not just beds, baths and stairs. There are hallways to consider, dining rooms, kitchens and even various technological tricks one can apply to the living room – such as hubs that allow people to monitor their home, answer the phone and even the door from the comfort of their chair. As ever, the goal isn’t to take away all agency from someone; that will only make them feel worse about what is already a difficult transition in our lives. Instead, the objective is to make things easier and allow loved ones (or ourselves) to achieve the same level of happiness and independence we enjoyed before despite changing circumstances. There’s no reason that can’t involve more freedom outside the home too. Mobility scooters are common sights on the streets of Lincolnshire and for good reason. Getting out is good for the heart, the soul and one’s mood. Being able to enjoy the sun and breeze, meet with or even make new friends, and generally prove both to ourselves and those around us that growing old doesn’t mean sitting in a home all day. Mobility scooters come in various shapes, sizes and specifications so it’s again worth speaking to someone directly about it. Given the similarities it has to an automobile, it might even be worth thinking of it like going to buy a car – thankfully with less cost. With all studies and research showing correlation between outdoor activities and longer and happier lives, it might not only be the best decision to invest in a mobility scooter, but the healthiest one. That is, of course, dependent on needs and the degree to which one’s mobility is impaired. Those in the early stages of growing old or who are blessed to have less problems may enjoy more freedom of choice in only needing a cane, or even being able to walk around unassisted. Does that make such investments useless to them? Not always. Even in our prime, some tasks like shopping or walking through busy markets can be tiring, especially on hot days, so even if a loved one does enjoy increased levels of mobility, that doesn’t mean access to a scooter wouldn’t improve the range of options available to them. If we can enable our elderly the freedom to move and interact as they wish, then perhaps there wouldn’t be such a stigma about the prospect of growing old, and people would be more willing to discuss the concept and what they want to happen at that time. It can be a lonely and intimidating experience, mainly for the reason that it only happens to each person once, but it’s important to know that there are companies out there whose very existence stands as testament to the people they’ve helped. No one is alone in Lincolnshire, and there’s no shame in wanting to make life a little easier. © Shutterstock /Ingo Bartussek 63-65.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:22 Page 2LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 65 Funeral Services Our funeral homes provide the best facilities including private arrangement rooms and peaceful chapels of rest. We also provide a funeral dividend during this difficult time of bereavement. A service from caring professionals To find out more contact your nearest funeral home: Lincolnshire.coop/storefinder 01775 711 959 www.countrycourtcare.com Spalding Common, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 3AS Fenchurch House Care Home Fenchurch House provides the kind of care we’d want all of our loved ones to receive. Our brand new home is beautifully furnished, whilst retaining a warm family atmosphere that makes Fenchurch House feel extra special. If you’re concerned about how your relative is coping and would like them to have more support, Fenchurch House provides family-led care in a luxurious and homely environment. The Covid-19 vaccine will be offered to all those in our care, allowing them to live safely and as they wish. • Bistro Café • Fisherman’s Arms Pub • Hair and pamper salon • Tailored meaningful activities • Daily Fine Dining • Luxury en-suite bedrooms 63-65.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:22 Page 366 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY PETS CORNER © Shutterstock / Reshetnikov_art Planning the perfect If you are organising a trip, it is important to ensure your pets are comfortable and well cared for while you are away. pet-cation 66-67.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:24 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 67 PETS CORNER As we all get set for our summer staycations, travelling to all corners of the country, many will unfortunately not be able to bring along their beloved pets. While you may have a family member or friend to take care of your pooch, feline friend, or other smaller creatures, it can often be a bit of an overstretch to expect them to look after or pop in to check on your pets for longer than a couple of days. Seeking out a boarding kennel, cattery, or small animal boarder, then, is an ideal alternative to keep your pet comfortable and cared for and give them their own little holiday when you are away. When doing this it is vital that you find the perfect place for your pet, as these environments do vary from place to place. There are a lot of different kinds of kennels, from the traditional to the luxurious. A good way to start is asking friends or your vet for a recommendation. One can also search online, read review websites, and enquire with your local council. If settling on a boarder, it is key that you visit before booking your pet in. There are a number of things to look for while you are there. As the RSPCA notes, one should check for an up to date license, if they have adequate insurance cover and have access to a vet should there be an emergency, if your pet is going to be given the space they need and their own sleeping area, whether and how frequently they will exercise your animal, if they will spend time with them to provide them with social contact, if they have a good system to monitor pets, and if they request for proof of vaccination to prevent disease spread. One should also check staff numbers, if they are welcoming, and the state of the facilities - are they clean and secure, do they offer heating and air conditioning for different seasons and access to toys, do the facilities have a bad smell, are pets given their own lodgings - and keep your eyes peeled to see if animals already there are clean, healthy, and happy, and their waste is removed quickly. This will present you with peace of mind too. For example if you know your dog is in a clean, warm, draught free kennel providing daily human company, walks and outdoor and indoor play areas, and the kennel is happy to accommodate your pet’s needs, you won’t be left worrying about your pet while you are away. You may also wish to ask about their policy for dealing with kennel stress. The best boarders do get booked up quickly, so it is wise to ensure you do this process and book well in advance of a trip. Another option is to hire a pet sitter. When doing this, however, it is important to make sure you meet them ahead of time, introduce your pet to them, and assess their references so you know they can be trusted to care for your pet. One should also ask to see a copy of their police check or criminal records bureau certificate and see whether they have insurance covering your pet if an emergency arises. Pet sitters can be a great choice for pets that get extremely anxious away from the home. Whoever is looking after your pet, as the owner you should leave all the information they will need to care for them; their usual routine, information on their diet, usual food and treats and feeding instructions, their exercise routine, health and medication information, you and your vet’s contact details, and any supplies that will be needed - pack a little “suitcase” to ease your pets transition with familiar toys, bedding, and other items, which may also help distract them if they are expected to be anxious without your presence. Keeping their carer informed will also help your pet cope in your absence. When the time comes to drop off your fluffy or feathered friend, or scaly sidekick, it is essential you remain calm, and make the goodbye short, so your pet is relaxed - then you can look forward to your reunion. 66-67.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:24 Page 268 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY COUNTY MOTORING Drive with pride Drive with pride You are what you drive – and whether it’s for business or pleasure we’re all proud of our motors. We take a look at a few cars we’d love to have in our garages. 68-71.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:25 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 69 COUNTY MOTORING Bentley Continental GT Speed Coupe The new Continental GT Speed Coupe represents the very pinnacle of performance grand touring, and defines the most dynamic road-going Bentley ever made, with no compromise to comfort or luxury. Combining the new systems the Continental GT Speed still maintains Bentley’s philosophy that a vehicle should feel progressive and secure, yet still be dynamic. The new carbon ceramic braking system boasts 440mm diameter front discs combined with new ten- piston front calipers, making this not only the biggest brake ever fitted to a Bentley but also the largest car brake in the world. The ceramic brake has been extensively tested around the world including at the Nurburgring Nordschleife where it set levels of braking performance never before achieved by a Bentley. In objective tests the ceramic brake has proven itself to be exceptionally fade resistant. 68-71.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2021 09:25 Page 2Next >