< Previous20 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE Nigel Cooke has risen to become one of the UK’s most popular artists with his evocative energetic cityscapes. Seeking the city Born in the West Yorkshire town of Mirfield, Nigel Cooke has art running through his veins. Although he took the long way around, joining the Merchant Navy after leaving school and holding a number of jobs, he’s now a full-time artist. Among the myriad of jobs along that road were joining Butlins as their resident caricaturist and entertainer. He later went on to open caricature concessions on Blackpool’s Central Pier and Pleasure Beach, in the Trafford Centre Mall in Manchester, and at Alton Towers. He has also worked as a character designer for the Hong Kong based C.I.M International and remains a member of the National Caricature Network in the USA. Having spent many years travelling the world as a caricature artist, Nigel then started to look to translate his unique point of view into other subjects. Looking back to all the places he visited and worked, he begun painting cityscapes, which elevated his illustrative style into fine art. His unusual, dynamic and unmistakeable style creates beautifully textured scenes that have intricate, layered details. To date, Nigel has sold paintings all over the world, with particularly strong sales in the UK, the USA and the Far East. Spending years perfecting his drippy style, he has now become one of the UK’s most popular artists. “My art is mainly humorous figurative paintings of people interacting,” he 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 09:33 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 21 ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE THE LITTLE RED GALLERY Love art? Then we’d love to meet you, please call in for a cup of tea and a chat. The Little Red Gallery are feeling ‘Love’ with a fantastic range of pieces and perfect gift ideas. 8 Bailgate Lincoln LN1 3AE 01522 589134 art@thelittleredgallery.co.uk www.thelittleredgallery.co.uk said. “Naturally this has its foundations in my lifelong dedication to portraiture, caricature, humorous illustration and character design.” Most recently Nigel Cooke has begun pushing the boundaries of his medium by painting on brushed aluminium. These paintings seem to have a life of their own and a three- dimensional quality which has captured the imagination of many. Almost holographic in their appearance, these paintings reflect light in different manners depending on the burnishing of the metal. You can see Nigel’s work yourself by visiting Lincoln’s Little Red Gallery. 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 09:33 Page 222 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE ALFORD CRAFT MARKET Promoting Lincolnshire Arts & Crafts through its Events, Shop, Online Shop, Classes and Gallery ALFORD ARTS ALFORD CRAFT MARKET Part of Alford Craft MarketEst 1974 The Alford Craft Market Shop is open every day except Sundays 10am - 4pm each day. Full of Lincolnshire Handmade Crafts - ideal for unusual and special presents. Our Gallery ‘Alford Arts’ opened in August, 2021. It has a wide range of work from Lincolnshire Artists, Potters and Sculptors - always something interesting to see and buy. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am - 4pm each day. www.alfordcraftmarket.co.uk 1 West Street, Alford, Lincs and 14A Market Place, Alford Crafting has long been part of life in Britain, dating back for centuries and moving from necessity into a hobby, while the influence of the arts and crafts movement can still be seen in furniture and décor choices today. Yet it was life during lockdown that saw thousands of people exploring crafting for the first time. Whether it was felting, metalworking or painting glass, arts and crafts are a proven way to reduce symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety, as well as helping to stave off degenerative diseases such as dementia, not to mention easing disorders like arthritis. Yet, for many, an interest in crafting can be hamstrung by fears that it is difficult or expensive. Or, perhaps, they’re overwhelmed by the sheer choice on offer. The best advice is to simply try everything. Even if you have only a passing interest in, say, quilting, give it a go. The things that might look strange from the outset may actually lead you to a new favourite hobby. It’s often through detours that most seasoned crafters find their calling. A great example is metal clay – something that might strike you as esoteric, or impossible to use, when, in fact, it’s anything but. As with any endeavour, you should be prepared to stumble. There’s nothing worse than when you’ve spent hours and hours researching only for your first few products to fail miserably. The important thing is to persevere and to A nation of crafters Popularity in crafting has exploded over the pandemic. If you’re a seasoned crafter, or looking to start for the first time, we’ve got you covered with some tried and tested tips and tricks. © Shutterstock /donatas1205 © Shutterstock /KMNPhoto 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 09:34 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 23 ARTISTIC LINCOLNSHIRE Craft Courses and Workshops Enjoy a creative, fascinating and relaxing day out on one of our many courses. Experience traditional crafts such as bookbinding, needle felting, printing, crochet, painting, spinning and willow weaving, all in the peaceful and historic surroundings of the old village school. Why not gather a group of friends or family together and contact us about arranging a bespoke workshop just for you? A versatile craft hub in the heart of rural Lincolnshire To find out more, visit www.oldschoolcrafts.co.uk, Email oldschoolcraftsminting@gmail.com or follow @oldschoolcraftsminting on Facebook and Instagram. embrace failure. There’s no greater teacher than failure. Own your mistakes and learn from them. Next time will be better, and the time after that. Fear in general is a hurdle that you’ll want to overcome when it comes to crafting. Don’t shackle your creative spirit, be bold and mix things together. Throw the strangest things in that resin; use regular airdry clay together with fine gems; sew buttons on canvas. The only limits truly are your imagination. Where caution should be exercised, however, is when it comes to cost. Don’t throw yourself into financial ruin. Silver clay is expensive, so practice with airdry clay to get a feel for the medium. Likewise, high-quality resin is expensive, so start with gel polish and go from there. Inspiration is the lifeblood of any creative pursuit, as true for writers as for crafters, so draw inspiration from others – whether that’s friend or family, artists your respect, or from the myriad crafting-themed TV shows currently on the air. Not only can you learn from the mastery but you can also learn from their mistakes so that you can avoid some of the same pitfalls. As well as being great for oneself, crafting is also one of the best ways to get kids to express themselves and explore their creative spirit. They don’t have the same inhibitions and mental roadblocks that we do as adults. To them, crafting comes naturally, and should absolutely be encouraged. With the summer holidays still in effect as of writing, it’s a great way to spend a morning. Lay out tubs of crafting materials and let them get on with it (just make sure to put down some newspaper first!). When all’s said and done, crafting is about expression and experimentation. It won’t always be easy, won’t always be fun, but it will always shape your creative spirit, guiding you onto the next piece and the next. If you’re on the fence, why not follow that same spirit and see where it takes you. Who knows, you might be selling your crafts at markets around the county this time next year. © Shutterstock /Yulia elf_inc T ropina © Shutterstock /CRAFT24 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 09:34 Page 224 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY One thing that many people want to achieve in their garden is to attract wildlife. There are many things we can do to help attract bees and butterflies into our outdoor space such as no mow May, avoiding the use of pesticides and leaving small pots of water out for drinking and bathing. However, the planting of colourful, nectar-rich flowers is the best way to invite them in. As a rule of thumb, the best plants for bees have large, single open blooms or tubular flowers that they can crawl inside. Bees are particularly attracted to the colour purple but will happily fly into any suitable flower. You can start to get your garden ready for the bees next year by planting your spring flowering bulbs now. However, while most bees are most active from March to September, some will emerge from hibernation early in mild winters. The buff-tailed bumblebee queen may occasionally start nesting in autumn rather than hibernation thereby establishing a ‘winter colony’. To help bees during this time Winter Honeysuckle or Winter Clematis would be good plants to have in your garden. During this time of year, the late summer, the best plants to attract bees are Buddleia, Dahlia, Ivy and Lavender. These plants will also be good for butterflies, along with Red Valerian, Verbena, Hebe and Bowles’s Mauve. Butterflies will hibernate during the winter and so you may want to consider putting plants in your garden that can be used as caterpillar food next year. One of the best ways to make room for caterpillars is to leave areas of your © Shutterstock / RUKSUT AKARN studio The birds and the bees Ed Fuller from Fullers Landscaping explores the best ways to attract wildlife to your garden. 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 09:36 Page 1• If you have clay soil now is the best time to improve it with organic matter and/or horticultural grit • Keep deadheading annuals and perennials to extend their performance • Prune any late summer flowering shrubs such as the rock rose • Prune climbing roses and rambling roses once they have finished flowering (unless they are repeat flowerers) • Raise posts off the ground for the winter by using bricks or ‘pot feet’ to prevent waterlogging. • Clear pond weeds and net your pond ready for autumn leaf fall • Divide herbaceous perennials • Pick autumn raspberries • Dig up remaining potatoes before slug’s damage them • Install water butts, and keep up with watering of new plants LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 25 Specialised Services in Garden Design Landscaping and Tree Maintenance Backed by a highly-skilled and experienced team, we’ve built our reputation on an ability to provide our clients with professional, tailored gardening and forestry solutions FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATIONS FULLERS Landscaping Call 01522 868717 or 07867 510544 landscapinglincolnshire@gmail.com www.landscapinglincolnshire.com Around the garden GARDEN ADVICE garden to go wild. However, if you want to plant specific plants then Dog Rose, Hops, Willows (Salix Species) would attract a variety to species. Caterpillars are good for your garden as they are eaten by other species such as hedgehogs, birds and bats so they will assist in attracting other wildlife. Unlike slugs you may not notice where a caterpillar has eaten as you do not tend to end up with Swiss-cheese like foliage. However, you may want to keep an eye out for Cabbage White caterpillars, both the small and large white ones, as they eat brassicas. The adult butterfly will lay eggs from May to June and then July to September. So now is the time to try and stop them laying eggs next year, you can do this by covering your plants with horticultural fleece or fine netting and check your plants regularly and pick of any caterpillars that have managed to get onto the plant. Another thing you can do to attract bees and butterflies is to put up a bee hotel and butterfly house. There are lots of options available and now would be a good time to put them up in your garden as they will provide somewhere for them to hibernate. This way they will stay in your garden ready to take advantage of your colourful plants next spring. © Shutterstock / godi photo © Shutterstock / Paul Maguire 24-25.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 09:36 Page 226 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY BIGG AND BARTON Two of North Lincolnshire’s gems, Brigg and Barton are a pair of historic market towns that attract visitors from near and far. Boasting a range of independent shops, heritage sites, and events, Brigg and Barton - just a short drive from one another - have a lot to offer. Beautiful Brigg The quintessential market town, Brigg has been used for thousands of years as a crossing point of and for access to the River Ancholme, seeing prehistoric boats uncovered in the area, dating back to 900 BC. Now a bustling community, there are myriad sites to see and places to stay, shop and eat. Indeed Brigg is an ideal location for independent shopping in particular, with streets, snug courts, and yards providing a mix of unique shops. With vintage stores, fashion boutiques, gift shops, cafés, and all your essentials from local firms, Brigg’s businesses continue to expand their offering, with firms like O’Brien’s Opticians now presenting professional eyewear stylists. Meanwhile creative minds can enjoy The Steel Rooms, a café, shop, and creative workshop space which hosts events and music evenings. As is to be expected, the town holds a traditional street market featuring fashion, cakes, fresh fish, vegetables, homewares, gifts and more, as well as farmers’ markets with locally reared meats, farm fresh dairy, seasonal fruit and flowers, traditional jams and chutneys, and artisan baked goods. The town also welcomes a plethora of other events, including its over 800-year-old horse fair in August. For heritage lovers, there are a number of significant and listed buildings in the town centre, such as St John’s Church, Jewels in North Lincolnshire’s crown 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 10:37 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 27 BIGG AND BARTON built in 1843, illustrating Gothic Revival architecture, while the marketplace is overlooked by the Buttercross, built by the Elwes family as a meeting place and completed in 1819, and the Angel, a former 17th century coaching inn with an early mock Tudor façade, now housing various services. The subject of investment, the Angel is a key focal point, which recently reopened as a community hub as part of North Lincolnshire Council’s £5m community investment programme. The work has seen the creation of a new open plan library entrance, the installation of a community kitchen and training room, private meeting, activity and community rooms, open access computers, an interactive games table to stimulate both physical and cognitive activity and encourage social interaction, and a new children’s library. The Angel also houses 28 Á 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 10:37 Page 228 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY BIGG AND BARTON Brigg Town Council, which has new rooms on the top floor, the Courtyard Café, which trades from the ground floor, and Brigg Heritage Centre, which is placed on the first floor. Presenting numerous discoveries, Brigg Heritage Centre’s primary attraction is the Bronze age ‘Raft’ found in the River Ancholme. The centre also hosts children’s crafts, temporary exhibitions, and talks. If in the Brigg area, don’t forget to take advantage of its connections for outdoor adventures. Explore the River Ancholme and the rest of the Ancholme Valley by following the Ancholme Valley Way via foot or bike - the path will take you from Brigg to South Ferriby and provides a prime opportunity to appreciate the riverbank’s wildlife and diverse landscape. Brilliant Barton A gateway to the Lincolnshire Wolds and the home of many iconic figures, including Sir Isaac Pitman, credited for the shorthand writing system, and Get Carter novelist Ted Lewis, Barton holds historic streets flanked with Georgian properties. With a wealth of attractions - museums, independent shops, restaurants, and nature reserves - Barton, an area on the banks of the Humber River inhabited since the Neolithic period, makes for a perfect day out. For architecture and history buffs, the town has a rich heritage and impressive buildings. St Peter’s Church is a key spot and the first building in England to be identified as Anglo-Saxon. One of the most studied churches in England, known for its burials, more than 2,800 skeletons were recovered from its burial vaults, providing vital information on early medical practice. See its tower and baptistery, the large medieval nave and chancel featuring various architectural styles, and an interactive exhibition on medical disease and diet. One should also take a visit to The Ropewalk, with its galleries, sculpture garden, coffee shop, and Ropery Hall, a venue for music, theatre, and cinema, all within a Grade II listed former rope factory. There is also a printmaking workshop, artists’ studios, and meeting rooms. Ropewalk Museum, in the 18th century ropery, details the history of ropemaking, and the life and conditions of workers and their families. Another important historic site is © Shutterstock /Luke Broughton 30 Á Water’s Edge Country Park 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 10:37 Page 3O’Brien’s Opticians launches brand new Low Vision Service and Eyewear Styling Consultation Service! FINEST OPTICIANS IN LINCOLNSHIRE Purveyors of Luxury Eyewear since 1979 DES BRANDS? 42 YEARS 43/44 WRAWBY STREET, BRIGG, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE OPHTHALMIC OPTICIANS & CONTACT LENS SPECIALIST PRACTICE MANAGER - JANE PALMER, OPTOMETRIST - Dr. S A Janjua BSc(Hons) MCOptom Doptom Prof Cert Glau Prof Cert LV Prof Cert Med Ret DipSV WEB: www.obriensopticians.com EMAIL: enquiries@obriensopticians.co.uk TEL: 01652 653 595 / 01652 649024 Visit O’Brien’s See Dr. Janjua See Better. We are OPEN and continuing the Covid-19 protection protocols we have had in place to keep our staff and customers safe. Please call us on 01652 653 595, email us at office@obriensopticians.co.uk, or contact us on our social media channels to request an appointment for all optical services including eye examinations, styling consultation, spectacle dispensing, fittings or collection appointments. We will advise you about the protocols in place for your attendance. You can follow us on our social media channels where we can keep you informed on any further changes that may be put into place in the future. Thank you for your patience during these difficult times. We all look forward to seeing you again in our practice very soon. Take care and stay safe Professional Eyewear Styling Service Low Vision Aids and Specialists lenses for Macular Degeneration (AMD), Glaucoma and More Dry Eye and Blepharitis Treatment UK Optician Awards runners-up 2018 & 2019! O’Brien’s Opticians has launched a brand new Eyewear Styling Service for existing and new patients at their practice in Brigg after recently training their team as professional eyewear stylists. This individually dedicated consultation service, offers patients a unique and bespoke eyewear styling consultation to help them to discover their perfect eyewear to suit both their optical and style needs. The consultations are curated by Jane Palmer, Gemma Chelton, June Lockham and Karen Boulton. The team has been professionally trained in how to assess individual colour analysis, colour psychology, facial and features analysis, style personality and eyewear selection. This will enable all patients to feel assured they are being given an unparalleled consultation service to find them their perfect eyewear. This service adds to the dispensing of ophthalmic lenses by exceptional and superior manufacturers such as Carl Zeiss, Nikon, Seiko, Rodenstock, Essilor (VARILUX, TRANSITIONS), Kodak, Hoya and many others. Practice manager Jane Palmer said: ‘’From our experience, we have often found that patients find choosing eyewear a difficult and sometimes daunting and stressful experience. Due to this, we felt it was necessary to invest in a process to better help patients discover and select eyewear which they not only just feel happy in, but delighted to be wearing! Our whole team has recently been professionally trained in becoming experts in eyewear styling and we are delighted to be able to offer this bespoke, brand new eyewear styling consultation service to existing and new customers. Clients of all ages, gender and style preference will now be able to find their perfect and most suitable eyewear in our practice”. Eyewear Styling Consultations are available throughout the week and must be booked in advance. Low Vision Service for the Visually Impaired. Optometrist Dr. Janjua recently completed the College of Optometrists acclaimed - Professional Certificate in Glaucoma and also the Professional Certificate in Low Vision from Cardiff University. Together with the support of his staff he has launched a private low vision service using the highest quality low Vision aids from Germany. Low Vision is when your sight is impaired, making it difficult to carry out everyday tasks with ordinary spectacles. This can be caused by various eye conditions such as Glaucoma and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The aim of the service is to provide individuals who suffer from reduced vision, with a high quality service and products to improve their vision and independence. Continued Blepharitis and Dry eye treatment A comprehensive dry eye and blepharitis treatment and nutrition plan devised by Dr. Janjua during his doctorate at Aston University in 2017 is continued to be implemented by the staff at O’Brien’s Opticians who have now been trained in ocular hygiene. Products supplied are by market leaders and often preservative free. ➤ Do you suffer from poor vision or know anyone who may benefit from specialist spectacles and aids? ➤ Do you suffer with dry eye and blepharitis? ➤ Do you want a personal Eyewear Styling Consultation? Book an appointment with Dr. Janjua & the team today! Listen to what our happy patients have to say: I chose O’Brien’s as they are a local firm that has good reviews. They have different examinations carried out which has indicated vision issues that we not previously detected by my other previous opticians. I liked the fact that I could get the same make of frame that I’ve had before as they fit well. Dr. Janjua was very thorough, patient and explained the issues found with my vision. He inspired trust not always felt with other opticians. I found the staff at O’Brien’s very kind, caring, helpful and competent. S. Hanson I have been coming to O’Brien’s for 40 years. I was told that O’Brien’s was the best practice locally and I still have that view. The team are helpful, friendly and efficient. Plenty of time is taken to deal with queries and the attention to detail in the testing feels like a personal service. O’Brien’s doesn’t compare with any other opticians that I have been to. Plenty of time is taken in Dr. Janjua’s eye examination and this is done in a welcoming and conversational environment. Excellent attention to detail and all my questions are answered with good information on eye health. A welcoming atmosphere. P. Gratton My daughter came in for a routine eye test and casually mentioned to Dr. Janjua that she is having headaches. Dr. Janjua discovered that she had a bilateral optic disk swelling and rang Scunthorpe hospital and got my daughter seen by ophthalmology urgently. This could have been fatal if not treated. My daughter needed two CT scans and a lumber puncture to release some pressure behind her eyes. She is now on medication for life but thanks to Dr. Janjua’s expertise and knowledge my daughter is on the road to recovery. D. Marie LOOKING FOR INDEPENDENT SERVICE AND DESIGNER BRANDS? Essilor (V Koda 26-31.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2021 10:37 Page 4Next >