< Previous50 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION Christmas All you want for Surprising your family and friends with a few thoughtful presents at Christmas is a great way to show love, appreciation, and spread joy! Whether you only have one or two stocking fillers left to find, or are out of ideas, Lincolnshire Today is ready to help with this merry gift guide! This Toylife xylophone shaped like an adorable bear, available from Studio, will help your little ones discover the magic of music this Christmas. The Fuzzy Friends Highland Cow Slippers, available from Prezzybox, are the perfect cosy, cute gift for fun warmth on cold winter nights. Gin In A Tin - A brilliant gift for your friends who love a festive tipple, try this wonderfully warming pear gin from Gin In A Tin, inspired by the classic winter dessert of spiced pears and the scents and flavours of Christmas. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 51 CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION With a luxurious metallic exterior, the aromatic festive blend of the Joyful Christmas candle from Amaura London is brimming with spiced orange, warm cinnamon clove, and hints of amber and vanilla. A hat and scarf are a classic Christmas gift, with this set from Barbour offering a stylish way to wrap up warm. This 12 Days Of Christmas Food Hamper from The St Andrew Hamper Co is full of tasty eco and organic goodies sourced from artisan producers. Pamper your pals this Christmas with this Champagne & Spice Bath And Body Gift Set from Bettyhula. 52 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION This Scottie Dog Baby Walker with wheels, from Little Bird Told Me, makes the ideal companion for little ones taking their first steps this festive season. A great gift for your foodie and green-thumbed friends, this festive seed kit from The Gluttonous Gardener is packed with traditional ingredients for a classic cook’s herb garden and fragrant spices for mulled wine, the traditional tipple of winter. Help your family create some quality memories with this compilation of party games from Talking Tables, great for entertaining kids, adults and grandparents. These delightful little wooden hand painted Christmas tree stud earrings, from Finest Imaginary Ltd, are a great gift for lovers of the outdoors or Christmastide. LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 53 CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION Help your loved ones get their homes in that lovely and spicy festive mood with the Christmas Spices (Épices De Noël) Red Festive Scented Glass Reed Diffuser from The British Craft House. Make sure not to forget your other family member this Christmas - your loyal pooch! Treat them to a toy or two, such as the Carys Cracker Plush Dog Toy available at Dobbies. When you have loved ones on the other side of the country and want to send a little something, you can’t go wrong with a letterbox gift, such as Biscuiteers Baking’s Snow Globe Mini Gift Box with hand iced biscuits and tea. Help the recipient of your present relax and unwind with music with this retro GPO Attache record player available from cuckooland.com. Pair with their favourite songs and albums on vinyl. Give the gift of adventure to the kids this year with The Den Kit Company’s Forest Den Kit designed for camouflaged exploration amongst the trees. This is a kit to inspire creativity, test bushcraft skills and clock up some outdoor hours.54 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION Is it Christmas? Is it Xmas? Does it matter as long as everyone is having fun. C hristmas has always been about family, gifts, cosy times and celebration, but you wouldn’t know that to look at all the drama that seems to crop up year after year around this time. We do our best to stay away from nonsense like “culture wars” in Lincolnshire Today, and that’s for good reason – it’s often just noise created by people to try and distract from real-world affairs. Does it matter if you write “Christmas” or “Xmas” on a card? To some, apparently, but in our case it’s often just a case of it being easier and quicker to write four letters instead of nine. The word “Xmas” isn’t even a recent invention – nor has it been made to be more historic version than the “Christmas” we use today. It later came back into prominence in 1753 when George Woodward used it, then again 1811 with Lord Byron, and 1864 with Lewis Carroll. One of the biggest reasons as to why it became so popular was its simple conciseness of four letters, which made it much easier to use in banners, on cards, advertisements and the like where space is money. It wasn’t until the late 1970’s that certain groups began to get upset about the word, with conservative groups in the US deciding that the word “Christ” in “Christmas” ought to be preserved, and branding “Xmas” as a pagan word. From this comes a general lack of understanding of history however, as Jesus Christ was often written as Xp or Xt among the deeply Christian Anglo-Saxon faithful, so sounded very close to Christian in Anglo- Saxon), and one of the earliest symbols of Christianity in the UK was not the crucifix but the letters X and P on top of one another. Something worth keeping in mind the next time people throw a fit about how traditional values are being eroded when it comes to Christmas. By its very definition, demanding people stop using the word “Xmas” is eroding the traditional values of English (Anglo- Saxon) worship of Christianity and replacing it with a more modern interpretation. History certainly is shocking like that. But the name of Christmas or Xmas isn’t the only thing that has been usurped in many ways. While the holiday has always had © stock.adobe.com/Asad That time of year! 56 ÁLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 55 &ƬLVWPDVDW Welcome to Horncastle Cake Art & Hobby House Everything for the Christmas Crafter Cake Decorations, Knitting, Crochet, Felt, Ribbons & more www.horncastlecakeart.co.uk 25 North Street, Horncastle, Lincs. LN9 5DX Tel: 01507 525926/522659 Rear of: 120 Daubney Street, Cleethorpes DN35 7NU T: 01472 240 800 E: johnsmithautos@live.co.uk www.jsmithautorepairs.co.uk • Servicing • Repairs • MOTs Catalysts Specialist Engine Tuning Family run business for over 20 years For All Your Motoring Needs We would like to wish all our customer a Merry Christmas LEAKE'S MASONRY Ltd Eve Street, Louth, Lincs LN11 0JJ Phone: 01507 604 828 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 over 100 years. We were very proud to have been entrusted with the repairs and renovation to the damaged Louth War Memorial. The Exchange, 60-62 Wrawby Street, DN20 8JJ Tel: 01652 288051 www.theexchangebrigg.co.uk LASCITO IS A MODERN ITALIAN-STYLE BAR AND RESTAURANT SET ON BRIGG’S HISTORIC WRAWBY STREET. We offer contemporary Italian cuisine that combines locally-sourced ingredients with Mediterranean flavours. We’ve fully renovated the restaurant and bar to create a relaxing, welcoming environment for our diners. Whether you’re joining us for a bite to eat over lunch or settling in for an evening of good food, wine and company, we hope you’ll feel at home.56 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION religious connotations, the original manner of celebrating it had little to do with presents, gift-giving, trees or staying indoors. Instead, the traditional method of celebrating Christmas was to go out and get drunk with friends and celebrate rather wildly in public. It is, after all, a celebration, and staying quiet and peaceful at home doesn’t really fit the definition of the word. However, Christmas was culturally forced to change in the 19th Century by the Americans, who changed it from a raucous public holiday to a sedate sit-at- home affair. The specific reasons were around paranoia and a belief that people drinking and carousing in the streets might have anti-government sentiment, and as such needed to be kept away from their fellows lest their feelings lead to protests or riots. To better understand why this happened, one must understand that the 1800s in America were dominated by civil unrest, and the working and lower classes often gathered at Christmas to share their complaints with one another, which could often result in them being whipped up into a frenzy with alcohol – something the upper-class did not like. Also, all that money being spent on alcohol meant it wasn’t being spent in the stores they owned. As a result, the idea of Christmas as a time to exchange gifts (after buying them, boosting the economy) was invented and spread across America. A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, similarly espoused the benefits of giving and this spread across England and the British Empire, coinciding with the American cultural adaptation of Christmas and resulting in the “traditional Christmas values” that people espouse today. Values that are, whether historically or religiously analysed, not traditional at all. But is that a problem? The world changes despite how much people might fight to try and keep it the same, and whether or not one might argue our modern interpretation of Christmas is too commercialised and too greedy (and it certainly is both!) doesn’t change the fact that it’s a beloved tradition for people of all faiths across much of the world. From stories of the ceasefire on Christmas in WWII, to family get-togethers and more, the effect that Christmas has on people can be profound, and it’s an effect which transcends the single religion which likes to claim ownership of it. Christmas trees, presents, gingerbread men, cakes, puddings. A lot of these have little to no relevance to the religious side of Christmas, and yet they’re still beloved parts of the holiday. Some people like to have a huge tree and cover it in decorations; some like to turn their gardens and the outsides of their houses into festive displays of lights. Neither are upholding the original values of Christmas, but they’re good fun and they don’t hurt anyone, so why not? Christmas is a holiday for most people, and the average person more enjoys the time spent with family and friends than they do the deep meaning and history behind it all, and far more than they do 58 Á © stock.adobe.com/dglimagesLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 57 PEACOCK&BINNINGTON WishingyouaMerryChristmas Please note our opening hours over the Winter period: MON-FRI:8:00AM-4:30PM SAT:8:00AM-12:00PM SUN:CLOSED BRIGG-CORRINGHAM-HALSHAM-KIRBYMISPERTON-LOUTH-SELBY Wewillbeclosedoverthe Christmasperiodfrom 3:30pmonFriday22nd Decemberandwillre-open onTuesday2ndJanuary BRIGG BEDS 01652 651828 Princess Street | Brigg | DN20 8HG www.briggbeds.co.uk Kingsize beds fit for Royality… Oil in South Lincolnshire is available at a fair price and with a reliable service from family run J and J Fuels. We are here to ensure you receive the very best service and at a time that suits you. As member of the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers you can be sure of a safe service every time with quality of product also assured. We pride ourselves on our prompt delivery services as well as our competitive prices. Offering domestic heating oil and farm diesel within a 30 mile radius of Boston. 01205 760 638 Bakers Lane, Freiston, Boston www.jandjfuels.com J&J FUELS BOSTON We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas Tel: 01472 812130 www.lincsvwa.com Unit 3, Woodside Park, Station Road, Tetney, Grimsby. DN36 5HX Find An Experienced Motor Mechanic In Tetney, Near Grimsby VW, AUDI, SEAT & SKODA SPECIALIST58 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY CHRISTMAS INSPIRATION 17 Market Place, Louth, LN119PD info@striacroft.co.uk 01507 604029 www.striacroft.co.uk Family Jewellers Established in Louth Since 1979 Large selection of Diamond, Gold & Silver Jewellery Nomination Retailer Agents for Citizen, Iron Annie, Zeppelin, Lorus & Kronaby Watches Pre Owned Rolex & Omega Watches Jewellery & Watch Repairs. We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas KEVIN JOHNSON 4 Church Road | Wittering | Peterborough | PE8 6AG Tel: 01780 782924 | Mobile: 07860 608825 enquiries@kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.uk www.kevinjohnsoncontracting.co.uk • Fertiliser Spreading 12m to 36m • Grass Mowing with Triple Mowers • Lime Spreading • Maize Drilling For those times when you need a helping hand on farm or on land the drama and silly arguments people online and in parliament like to have. In my mind the best thing about Christmas is that it forces you to go out – something that we often find excuses not to do as we get older. It’s easy in this modern internet age to stay away at home and not interact with people, but Christmas forces you to get off your seat and go shopping, mingle, deal with crowds (as annoying as that can be) and all-around be a normal human being again. You’re forced to see the bright lights, to see other people having fun, and to realise that the world isn’t just doom and gloom like the newspapers and news channels make it seem. There are bright moments; there are trees – yes, there are even those scraggly trees that the councils always seem to find, to much mockery and amusement online. But even when they’re being roundly laughed at for managing to find a tree that looks like a skeleton, it’s still fun. Though, seriously, we don’t know where they are finding these anaemic trees because there are so many nurseries in Lincolnshire selling perfectly good and full trees, and yet councils somehow manage to find ones that look like they’re suffering from an eating disorder. In some ways the embarrassing moments are also a bit of a Christmas tradition, be it the humiliating photos taken at parties to the awkward gifts to the inadvisable kisses stolen at a work party. It very much feels like old and new have meshed now, and that while we still have the “modern” version of Christmas involving dinners, presents and trees, we’re also embracing some of the “traditional” values of going out and getting drunk and having fun. Lincolnshire is a great place for that, whether your idea of fun is the night scene with clubs across the region, a quiet drink in a pub with your mates, or a Christmas lunch at a fancy restaurant in the countryside. We have a vast wealth of options that people in places like London just don’t. When it comes to picking out gifts, our advice is to ask for help from the people in the store. It may feel like cheating, and some may argue that you should do it yourself, but if you’re buying for someone and you don’t know about the hobby or interest, then you’re essentially shooting in the dark. Ask instead. If your SO likes golf and you don’t, then you can rest assured the people working in a golf shop will probably know a lot more than you do. They may love the sport, or they may just know a lot about it, but they’ll © stock.adobe.com/Dimitri 61 ÁLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 59 Your Ifor Williams Trailer Distributor Trailers from Camping to 3500kg gross Sales • Repairs • Servicing • Spares Sole Distributors in Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Pickup canopies also available You are welcome to view our stock of Trailers Te: 01526 860317 W: www.scott-trailers.co.uk E: office@scott-trailers.co.uk Opening hours: Mon to Fri 8am-5pm Sat 9am-12 noon HorseboxCommercial LivestockUnbraked Wishing our customers old and new a Merry Christmas tŝƚŚůĂƌŐĞŝŶĚŽŽƌĂŶĚŽƵƚĚŽŽƌƐŚŽƉƉŝŶŐĂƌĞĂƐ͕ǀŝƐŝƚƵƐƚŽĮŶĚLJŽƵƌ ƚƌĞĞƐ͕ƐƚĂŶĚƐ͕ůŝŐŚƚƐ͕ĚĞĐŽƌĂƟŽŶƐĂŶĚŐŝŌƐ͘ We are open for fresh cut and pot grown Christmas Trees from Friday 24th November to Sunday 17th December 2023 Open 9am to 5pm (Sunday 9am-4pm) /ĨLJŽƵ͛ƌĞƉůĂŶŶŝŶŐƚŽǀŝƐŝƚƵƐŽŶĂǁĞĞŬĞŶĚ ƉůĞĂƐĞĮŶĚƚŚĞůŝŶŬƚŽďŽŽŬŽŶŽƵƌǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͘ ZĞĨƌĞƐŚŵĞŶƚƐƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚďLJ ͚dŚŝƐ>ŝƩůĞWŝŐŐLJ͛Θ^ĞǀĞŶŝƐƚƌŝĐƚƐŽīĞĞ͘ &ĂŶĐLJŵĞĞƟŶŐ^ĂŶƚĂ͍ŽŵĞǀŝƐŝƚŚŝŵŝŶ ŚŝƐ'ƌŽƩŽ͕ĮŶĚĂůůƚŚĞŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶLJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚŽŶŽƵƌǁĞďƐŝƚĞ͘ ĂƐƚůĞ&Ăƌŵ͕&ŝůůŝŶŐŚĂŵ͕ Gainsborough, DN21 5BX ;:ƵƐƚŽīƚŚĞϭϯϵϴ͕ϴŵŝůĞƐ north of Lincoln) ĂůůϬϭϰϮϳϲϲϳϬϭϰŽƌǀŝƐŝƚ ǁǁǁ͘ĮůůŝŶŐŚĂŵͲƚƌĞĞƐ͘ĐŽ͘ƵŬ Woolliss & Son Butchers –– AWARD-WINNING LINCOLNSHIRE BUTCHERS –– LOOKING FOR A TOP QUALITY BUTCHERS IN LINCOLNSHIRE? Look no further, we have a proven track record when it comes to providing top quality cuts of meat and home made pastries at a competitive price. We are proud of our locally sourced produce and our 5 star hygiene rating. 29-31 Mercer Row, Louth LN11 9JG. T: 01507 603230 E: orders@woolliss-butchers.co.uk W: woolliss-butchers.co.uk We would like to wish all our customers old and new a Merry Christmas Christmas orders now being takenNext >