Shaping the city for the 21st century

Lincoln is undergoing a renaissance in its history as millions of pounds are invested in regeneration and transportation projects.
Everywhere you look something is happening – from work on the new £30m Lincoln Transport Hub, to regeneration schemes such as The Cornhill Quarter project, where three new tenants have already signed up to take space.

The new £22m East-West Link Road, which takes traffic from Lincoln’s busy High Street to Pelham Bridge, has also partially opened and a start is soon to be made on the extension to the long-awaited Eastern Bypass – ten years after planning started. It will link the A158 Wragby Road with the A15 Sleaford Road.

Now Standard Life Investments has announced it wants to splash £150 million on revamping St Marks Shopping Centre and Retail Park – a plan which it claims could open the door to 2,000 new jobs.

Against this backdrop Lincoln continues to attract new shopping brands, restaurants and businesses to this fast-changing city. It may be hard to keep up in the face of all this upheaval, but the message from the City of Lincoln Council, Lincoln BIG and many trade and industry leaders is: Lincoln is still very much open for business.

The Lincoln Transport Hub scheme is a significant regeneration project that will transform the city centre and provide a state-of-the-art bus station, 1,000 space multi-storey car park, retail space and a new pedestrian plaza area connecting the new facilities with Lincoln Central Railway Station.

Led by City of Lincoln Council, the scheme will also see improvements to Lincoln’s Railway Station and create a more accessible and attractive gateway to the city.

City of Lincoln Council leader Ric Metcalfe said: “This is an incredibly exciting scheme that will move Lincoln city centre into the twenty-first century, ensuring the potential for future growth, creating an attractive and connected gateway to the city and making it an even better place to live, work, visit and do business.

“I know many people will be glad to see our current bus station demolished. A new facility is long overdue and will be able to cope with even more than the seven million passengers who use the bus in Lincoln each year.

“We’ve received a huge amount of support for the hub scheme and I hope people will be patient while this vital work is underway.”

City of Lincoln Council chief executive Angela Andrews, said: “Lincoln Transport Hub is a vital scheme to ensure the future of our city centre. These superb new facilities will revitalise the heart of our city centre, bringing huge benefits to our residents, visitors, businesses and commuters, as well as our local economy.”

The scheme is being delivered by the city council in partnership with the Department for Transport, the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP), Lincolnshire Co-op and Network Rail, working with East Midlands Trains and Lincolnshire County Council.

The Transport Hub is expected to take up to eighteen months to complete and the new facility is due to be open by January 2018.

Lincoln BIG chief executive Matt Corrigan said: “Lincoln has been growing and changing at a phenomenal pace over the past few years. In fact, we saw little let-up in activity during the last recession, compared with many other places.

“While we acknowledged that improvements cannot happen without disruption, we are encouraging everyone to pass on the message that Lincoln is Open for Business – because we have some great shops and leisure facilities and a busy programme of events in the run-up to Christmas and we don’t want anyone to miss out.”

Lincoln, which has a long and colourful history dating back to Roman times has seen many changes but since the 1980s in particular, the city centre has seen many new developments.

One of the most important has undoubtedly been the establishment of the University of Lincoln and its growth, together with that of Bishop Grosseteste University, means we now have more than 15,000 students studying in the city.

Work on the East-West Link Road began back in November 2014 and it was finally partially opened to traffic in August this year. The two-year project links the High Street at its junction with Tentercroft Street to Pelham Bridge and Canwick Road.

It has removed the need for traffic to cross the High Street level crossing, which has caused long delays in the past, and it has also facilitated the regeneration of Tentercroft Street and the former coalyard.

The road has also paved the way for the pedestrianisation of the High Street from St Mary’s Street to St Mark’s Street linking the area more closely with the existing city centre shopping area to the north of the level crossing.

Together with the proposed redevelopment of St Mark’s Retail Park, it should help increase footfall in the area and bring a welcome boost to the local economy.

The planned revamp would see eight business units in the west section of the centre demolished and replaced with new residential units, student housing, shops and a 130-bed hotel as well as a two-storey car park with up to 1,100 spaces.

Plans for the redevelopment are to be unveiled to the public this month (November). Afterwards a formal planning application will be submitted to the City of Lincoln Council.

As well as being a significant regional centre, Lincoln is viewed as one of England’s most beautiful and vibrant Cathedral cities.

Today the city also boasts a mix of lively entertainment and cultural attractions, many located in the Cultural Quarter and along the Brayford Waterfront. Popular arts and entertainment venues include the refurbished Drill Hall, The Collection, The Usher Gallery and, more recently, The New Theatre Royal.

Built in 1890, The Drill Hall, for the first part of the twentieth century, was used as a military and police training hall. After being opened up to public use, it hosted dances, wrestling bouts, bingo and live bands, including the Rolling Stones in 1963.

In 2004, the building underwent a £2.6m refurbishment and reopened as an arts and community venue with a fully equipped 370-seat auditorium, fifty seat studio theatre, cafe, bar and meeting rooms. Every year it attracts more than 150,000 to its live theatre, comedy, music, dance and literary events.

The Collection is an award-winning archaeology museum which hosts a huge variety of historic exhibitions throughout the year, along with regular talks and events and the adjacent Usher Gallery is one of the region’s premier art galleries.

Tourism contributes more than £1 billion (ONS 2011) each year to the Lincolnshire economy, with many of our 3.7m visitors making sure they take time to explore Lincoln’s top attractions, including Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle.

This summer, Lincoln was one of only four UK venues to host the iconic poppy sculpture Wave, which was originally part of an installation first seen at the Tower of London in 2014. It has been touring the country as part of the 14-18 NOW arts programme, marking the centenary of the First World War.

During the three months it was installed at Lincoln Castle it attracted more than 500,000 visitors and helped reinforce the Castle’s status as a world-class attraction, following its £22m refurbishment in 2014.

The Castle is also home to one of only four surviving copies of the Magna Carta and its 800th anniversary in 2015 generated worldwide public interest.

That interest is set to continue into 2017 as the Castle prepares to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest, which is the companion document to the Magna Carta and re-established rights of access to the royal forest for free men. That had been eroded by William the Conqueror and his heirs.

Lincoln BIG is also staging a major piece of public art next year: The Lincoln Knights’ Trail, which is expected to attract thousands of extra visitors to the city during its installation, from 20th May to 3rd September.

KNIGHTS’ TRAIL LATEST
Lincoln BIG is forging ahead with its plans to stage an exciting public art event in 2017 – The Lincoln Knights’ Trail.

After securing thirty-five sponsors for the attraction, the Business Improvement Group launched a call for artists keen to decorate the Knight sculptures and early this month (Nov) they will be revealing their designs at a Sponsors’ Selection event.

The Lincoln Knights’ Trail will form part of the 800th anniversary commemorations of The Battle of Lincoln Fair in 1217 and the sealing of the Charter of the Forest. It will be in place from 20th May to 3rd September, for locals and tourists to enjoy, and will be unique to Lincoln.

Lincoln BIG chief executive Matt Corrigan said: “We were thrilled when we secured thirty-five businesses and organisations as sponsors of our 2017 Trail. They include first-timers and businesses who also backed our 2015 Barons’ Trail.

“After this we launched a call for artists, challenging them to come up with designs for decorating the Knight sculptures, which will represent two key figures from the Battle of Lincoln: Nichola de la Haye (Custodian of Lincoln Castle) and William Marshall (Regent to the young King Henry III).”

“This attracted a wide range of professional and amateur artists. We went on to make a shortlist, offered the artists the chance to paint a midi-Knight, and the final group will go on to share their ideas at a Sponsors’ Selection event early this month.”

Once again, Lincoln BIG has teamed up with Wild in Art to create the new trail, which is expected to prove popular with both locals and visitors from far and wide.

The historical theme behind the trail has also given Lincoln BIG the opportunity to run an educational programme with the EBP (Education Business Partnership). Schools across Lincolnshire will have the chance to get involved with their very own medium-sized Knight.

When the trail finishes, the sculptures will go on to be auctioned in Lincoln Cathedral (30th September). Two-thirds of the money raised will go to Lincoln BIG’s charity partner, The Nomad Trust. The remaining third will be used to create a ringfenced Art and Innovation Fund to help the city to deliver future public art and events aimed at attracting more visitors to Lincoln.

CORNHILL QUARTER REGENERATION
Regeneration-wise, the spotlight is currently firmly on a £70 million programme of investment, which is breathing extra vitality into the city’s important Cornhill Quarter.

This will see the transformation of an area which has traditionally been home to a wide variety of independent stores, market traders, post office and the former city bus station – making way for new retail units, a new 1,000-space car park and links to a new bus station.

Phase 1 work, costing £12m, is now well underway. The markets area fronting the city’s historic Grade Two-listed Corn Exchange building has been demolished, to make way for five new retail and restaurant units.

Excitingly, three properties have already been snapped up by national traders keen to benefit from Lincoln’s expanding economy. They are Flying Tiger, Moss and The Cosy Club.

The development is being marketed by the landlord Lincolnshire Co-op’s agent Banks Long & Co along with London-based Lunson Mitchenall.

The Corn Exchange phase will be finished for June 2017. Shop units 30A to 34 – across the road in Sincil Street – will be revamped during the next phase of redevelopment.

Banks Long & Co managing director Tim Bradford said: “We are pleased with the way in which the redevelopment of The Cornhill Quarter is going. It is great that we have already secured three tenants for the area fronting The Corn Exchange building and we are confident that the regeneration of this area will have the power to attract more tenants over the coming months.”

GAVIN TAYLOR – EVENTS PLANNING
With the number of weddings taking place each year on the increase, and the average cost increasing year on year, have you thought about turning to a professional planner to help?

Although many brides have specific ideas about what they want their day to represent, the use of an outside planner can sometimes help reduce your costs, and the great thing is, with their experience they can help with ideas you may not have thought about previously.

Gavin Taylor is a Scampton based events planner specialising in weddings, parties and corporate events. Whether you are looking for someone to be there on the day to let you enjoy it with no worries, to find locations, caterers or any other service, Gavin can help.

Couples and companies can choose from a wide a range of packages to suit their budget and their requirements. Whilst Gavin is happy to take the reins from as little as three months before the big day, an early introduction will allow him to help on all aspects of the planning.

For more information contact Gavin on 07920 796648 or email gavintaylorevents@gmail.com

CHESTERFIELDS
Did you know that Lincoln is home to the largest display of Chesterfield furniture in the East Midlands? This family owned and run business has some of the best value for money handmade, bespoke furniture in the country. The history of the ‘Chesterfield’ shape dates back over 300 years, and stands testament as an icon in design history. The deep button low back sofa is a comfortable, practical piece of furniture that is timeless, always in fashion and flexible to fit into both modern contemporary and traditional settings.

Chesterfields in Lincoln Limited produce all of their furniture with customer comfort and satisfaction at the heart of each order. Our range remains faithful to the original in size and shape, only using the finest hides and fabrics, full solid English beech frames, and high quality upholstered items to produce furniture that is truly suitable for a lifetime of use. An extensive range of high and low back models and a range of colours and finishes are available, extending from the truly traditional to the highly adventurous.

Take a trip to Chesterfields’ lovely spacious showroom in Nettleham on the outskirts of Lincoln, you will be made very welcome. www.chesterfieldsinlincoln.co.uk. T: 01673 866656.

RED ARROWS AT CLEAR VIEW
When did you last have an eye test? Your eyesight plays one of the most vital roles in everyday life yet despite this, one in six Britons say they haven’t had their eyes tested since childhood, with a further fifth confirming they can’t remember ever going to an optician. Less than a quarter of people asked are achieving the NHS guidance of having an eye test at least every two years.

An eye test is not just about whether you need spectacles; it is an important health check, spotting many general health problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure, or detecting ocular conditions that you could be unaware of which could be treated if found early enough, such as glaucoma.

Annabelle Magee of Clear View Opticians on Burton Road is trying to raise awareness of the importance of regular sight tests, even for those with perfect eyesight. As such, she invited the Red Arrows to come to her practice.

“Everyone knows a pilot needs exceptional eyesight. Having a disease such as glaucoma can reduce your peripheral vision up to forty per cent before you are aware, which as a Red Arrow could be disastrous. It was an honour to test Red 3 Flight Lieutenant Si Taylor, Flight Lieutenant Keith Edge, Leader of Engineering Support Flight and Red Arrow Engineer David Trimby. The Red Arrows are iconic to Lincolnshire. I hope people will follow in the Red Arrows’ footsteps and get their sight tests booked as soon as possible.”

Red Arrow Engineer David Trimby took to Twitter: ‘Great service today @clearview169. I’ll not leave my eye test so long next time. Nice to support a local optician.’

Annabelle Magee, Clear View Opticians, 169 Burton Road, Lincoln LN13LW. T: 01522 542121, www.clearviewopticians.co.uk

STYLE BATHROOM SPECIALISTS
Style Bathroom Specialists are a newly opened local family business run by husband and wife Andy and Liz Millns. Andy has over fifteen years’ experience in designing, supplying and installing bathrooms and kitchens and also specialising in adaptations for the elderly and less able. Having previously owned a showroom in North Yorkshire and relocating back to their hometown of Lincoln, the company has spent eighteen months trading from home whilst looking for premises. In March 2016 the Style Bathroom Specialists showroom, in the Cathedral Quarter of Lincoln, opened its doors to the public and has welcomed a steady flow of customers old and new.

“When planning a refurbishment of your bathroom to suit your changing needs, it is important to consider functionality, space and concept; although you may now need an easy access shower or bath, it is also important to maintain a look the suits your home as well as your needs. We offer a wide range of modern adapted bathing products with a home survey. One of our specialist surveyors will visit you in your home where you can browse the many brochures and samples that we carry, to help you choose which products would best suit your requirements. We can plan your new bathroom on our CAD system, with the products that you have chosen, and you can see exactly what the finished product will look like.

“Our services are in the main, for bathrooms, offering modern and contemporary fully fitted bathrooms, luxury wet rooms, low level walk-in showers, walk-in baths, raised height toilets, shower seats and grab rails, slip resistant flooring, waterproof wall panelling, vanity units, and towel warmers. However, we also offer fully fitted bespoke kitchens to suit every budget.”

TOUCH OF CLASS – HARMONI
If you love shopping with independent retailers – where you have time to browse and also enjoy personal service – you’ll find some real gems in uphill Lincoln.

Harmoni on Burton Road is one such shop that’s well worth seeking out – especially if you are searching for continental brands of clothing not stocked everywhere else in the city.

Owner Sharon Wood’s boutique is absolutely bursting with new season designs and, although she has a regular and growing clientele, anyone who hasn’t popped in for several months, as well as first-time shoppers, are encouraged to take a fresh look at what’s in stock. Harmoni also stocks sizes xs to xxl.

“At Christmas, I will have had Harmoni for five years. I have gradually expanded to offer a much wider range of effortlessly stylish clothing, including dresses, tops and the most comfortable trousers,” said Sharon.

“Along the way I have introduced new brands. Masai and Capri have always been popular, but my newest arrivals include the New Zealand brand Foil; Tara Vao from Bali; Smashed Lemon from Amsterdam and the French make Eva Tralala.

LINCOLN GUILDHALL
Buildings have occupied the site of the Guildhall since the third century. A gate to the city stood on this site in the tenth century throughout the Danish occupation of Lincoln, and a gate and city walls were still in existence in 1217, which prevented the escape of the French troops during the Battle of Lincoln Fair.

The Mayor and Guild first used the buildings that stood here in 1237 to make decisions on the running of the city after King Henry III gave their buildings and land in the city to the Greyfriars. They used the rooms above the southern gate where the current building now stands until the year 1390, when King Richard II ordered the city to rebuild the gateway.

In the year 1521, the City Council minutes record that the inner chamber of the Guildhall was first used by the Mayor and Aldermen to meet in a Secret Council where decisions were made without the knowledge of the Full Council. An iconic building which has spanned the path of Ermine Street for almost 500 years, Lincoln’s historic Guildhall is a hidden gem in the centre of the city and well worth the visit!

FAZE FOUR JEWELLERS
When Lincoln jewellers Faze Four started out in business just seven years ago, the Pandora brand of jewellery was relatively unknown and hadn’t yet established its international presence.

But the shop opened in the High Street in October 2009 with a small selection of Pandora items, together with a handful of other brands such as Ti Sento Milano and Dower & Hall and the gamble paid off.

Now it has grown that much it stocks more than fifteen well-known brands such as Emozioni, Hot Diamond, ChloBo and more, as well as an extensive range of Pandora and a wide range of watches from worldwide brands.

Faze Four is part of the family run business Moore & Scrupps Jewellers which began in 1998 and has been a trusted name in the jewellery industry for more than fifteen years. It also has stores in Sleaford, Newark and Bourne.

Shop manager Laurea Cornwell said: “After opening the three other jewellers in Sleaford, Newark and Bourne, the decision was made to open Faze Four in Lincoln.

“It was opened with the intention of focusing on high quality, contemporary jewellery from brands such as Pandora. As a business we have stocked Pandora for almost ten years and so are very pleased to have been able to grow with it over the years and see it go from strength to strength.”

“Moore & Scrupps are traditional jewellers with a vast range of beautiful diamond and precious stone jewellery, along with wedding bands, giftware and a wide range of repair services.

“We are extremely proud of our reputation for providing excellent customer service and we are looking forward to the busy festive period which is already beginning.”

Faze Four offers a repairs service for both jewellery and watches including replacement batteries, minor repair and engraving at its Sleaford workshop and more extensive repairs through its specialist goldsmith.

“We are always on the lookout for the ‘next big thing’ in jewellery and over the years we have come to stock a brilliant range of contemporary jewellery,” said Laura.

“The most recent addition is a fabulous new range called ‘Anais – a beautiful locket’ concept from the makers of Hot Diamonds which we expect will be a big hit at Christmas.”

The shop is manned by a small group of just six staff including Laura who has been there since it opened, and two have been in the business for six years.

“Over the past six years, we have worked with some lovely people who have all taken immense pride in their jobs and the excellent level of customer service we offer,” said Laura.

RECRUITMENT MADE EASY
Select Appointments was established in 1980, providing a high-quality and personal recruitment service to employers and job seekers.

Donna Stafford is managing director at Select Appointments, Lincoln and Peterborough. Donna joined Select (October 2001) as an executive manager before investing in the business five years later.

“At Select we believe that successful partnerships are based around the service and experience provided by each consultant. Donna inspires her team to work with honesty and integrity, valuing her company’s reputation amongst candidates and clients.

“We have the best candidates because we take the time to understand who they are, what they want and what they need. They trust us to help find the best job, not simply the first role we can place them in.

“Our support areas cover administration, secretarial, sales, hospitality, marketing, accountancy, technical and more. So, whether you’re an employer or a candidate, get in touch!”

Contact: 01522 533 778, D.Stafford@select.co.uk

JH WALTER – THE PROPERTY SPECIALISTS
Lincolnshire property agents, auctioneers and valuers JHWalter LLP have had a presence in the City of Lincoln for over 225 years and have witnessed and advised on many of the significant developments which have transformed the city and county.

The professional practice which now employs around 40 staff at its offices at Mint Lane, Lincoln has remained in the same family for seven generations. Despite changes to the profession, which have seen JHWalter expand into business, planning and energy, it remains fiercely proud of its roots in agriculture and property.

JHWalter now transacts property and land under three separate brands:
• JHWalter specialises in the marketing and selling of individual and unique property, furthermore benefitting from a thriving commercial department specialising in the sale and letting of retail, office, industrial, leisure, investment and development properties.
• The County Property Auction specialises in the sale of property by public traditional auction, with legally binding sales on the fall of the hammer, holding auctions five times throughout the year.
• JHWhome is the latest addition to the property agency and is a mainstream estate agency brand to market and sell property through the complete price spectrum.

Please feel free to call one of the team should you require any advice on the services we provide: 01522 504304.

ROGER DAVIS FINE INTERIORS
Roger Davis Fine Interiors have over 40 years of experience in the soft furnishings industry. They offer a service that’s individual, tailoring all
aspects of window styling to your needs.

As a Luxaflex® approved Select Dealer, not only do they boast their full collection of products with sample books and working sample blinds but they are at the forefront of selling Luxaflex®’s newest innovative products. They are delighted to introduce Luxaflex® PowerView® Motorisation, smart shades that simplify your life.

Welcome to the future! You can sit back and relax and let PowerView® do the work for you while being in full control. This all-new wireless technology fits perfectly with today’s connected modern lifestyle. It lets you control all of your window blinds from your smartphone, tablet or beautifully designed PowerView® Pebble® Remote.

Program your perfect settings and let PowerView™ do the rest. You can customise your ideal combination of light, privacy and warmth, keeping your home perfectly in sync with the time of day and your schedule, while optimising energy efficiency, and keep burglars away when you are not at home, by controlling them from afar using the Remote Connect feature.

Seeing is believing! Why not visit their showroom to see how it works, their fully trained staff will be on hand to show you – you can even try it for yourself! The showroom is open Monday to Friday 9am–4.30pm and Saturday 9am–4pm.

FESTIVE FUN
Whether you need extra time to go Christmas shopping or are looking for events designed to get everyone into the festive spirit, there is plenty on offer!

On 17th November Lincoln’s Christmas Lights will be switched on. The fun starts at 5.30pm in the High Street, with singing and entertainment from the characters from both of Lincoln’s pantomimes.

Atomic Kitten star and television personality Kerry Katona – who is playing the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at The New Theatre Royal – will perform the main switch-on just after 7pm.

Almost Olly – an Olly Murs tribute act – is also lined up to entertain the crowds at the St Mark’s Shopping Centre, before the cast of Lincoln Drill Hall’s panto Beauty & The Beast switch on its lights at 6.30pm.

Lincoln BIG’s much-loved Ice Rink returns on 26th November and will be staying open right through to 1st January. The Rink will be closed on Christmas Day and open for reduced hours on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

This year the popular ‘Penguin-aids’ will, once again, be available for use by the younger visitors to the Rink and Lincoln BIG is offering dedicated quiet sessions for families and skaters with disabilities – on Tuesdays at 10am and Thursdays at 1pm.

There are lots of opportunities to buy your Christmas gifts too, with plenty of late night shopping, including every Thursday from 17th November to 22nd December when stores will be staying open until 8pm (some until 9pm).

And don’t forget to fit in a visit to the famous Lincoln Christmas Market, which will be open for business from 1st to 4th December.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!
Even if it does still feels light years away.

But it is time to beat the crowds and grab that special find for yourself (and your loved one of course) before the mania begins and the magic is sold out.

So drop into The Little Red Gallery and fall in love with that special piece of art today. We have work by all the familiar names Dali, Warhol, Lowry, as well as those of the alive and well such as rock god Ronnie Wood, northern Leigh Lambert, delicate Mary Shaw, emotional Alex Jawdokimov and so many more.

And if you have a piece in mind that you’re looking to track down, The Little Red Gallery can order it in for you, all in time for that magic day.

And we understand that ‘tis the season and we’re not the only stop on your Christmas present search so we’re offering to help break up the payments into more reasonable chunks with 0% interest. Just get in touch with us for more details on how we can personally tailor it to your needs.

And be excited! This is a time of fun and surprise and a little bit of magic. Anyone who already knows us can attest that we’ll certainly add to that (especially the people that have caught us singing and dancing, whoops!). We have been involved in many a secret plot, so if you want to reserve a piece and have us tell your loved ones that it is sold while you break out the bubbly, we can do that! And much more, whatever your plot we’re game to be a part of it.

So come on by, drink our coffee (or our Prosecco), send us an email or give us a ring. We’re open 10am till 6pm every day. And for those of you shivering your way through the Christmas Market, feel free to come in and warm up with a mince pie and mulled wine before braving the cold again.

Hugs and kisses, from all of us up at The Little Red Gallery.

SOPER OF LINCOLN
The MINI Countryman is for people who want a 100% MINI, but with the option of MINI ALL all-wheel-drive. Plus a little more space for their life and luggage.

People who like the responsiveness of a go-kart, and are not averse to the occasional splash of mud. Who live life to the full, so those five seats come in very handy. Who are equally at home in the city or on a narrow country lane. Who want the real MINI experience, wherever they go.

The MINI Cooper Countryman has the power to tame tarmac and less trodden tracks alike. This powerhouse will take you further than you thought possible. With its 122hp (90kW) engine and a top speed of 119mph, you’ll arrive there pretty sharpish too. This agile crossover boasts four doors, acres of space for passengers and cargo, and is surprisingly fuel-efficient. It’s a handsome beast too. Who knew you could have the best of everything?

Bonnet stripes, contrasting roofs, exterior mirror caps, side scuttles. Few other models come close to the level of customisation MINI has offered for over fifty years. In fact, choosing a new model is no easy task. For the exterior alone, there are over 10,000 ways to ensure your MINI is a true one-off and a perfect match for your personality.

The MINI Countryman really does offer it all and with all of the additional options you really are bound to make this the perfect car for you.

HARDING HOUSE GALLERY
During October, the members of the co-operative have a change around of work at Harding House Gallery, after painting and refreshing the display areas ready for autumn and the festive season that is not far away.

The next exhibition that runs through October will be ‘It’s What I Do!’ by Janet Schooley, a collection of work displaying the artist’s diverse and creative explorations. It’s sure to be exciting and different. This show continues until 12th November, followed later in the month by the Christmas exhibition ‘Dear Santa…’. This promises to be a fantastic festive display that will include work in a variety of media from many different artists, at prices to suit everyone. Included will be paintings, ceramics, metal sculptures, glass, wood, and more. ‘Dear Santa…’ opens on Saturday 26th November in the upper gallery, with complimentary wine and mince pies for everyone.

The gallery is open every day, staffed by the artists of the co-operative, and there is always an artist on hand to answer any queries. Do call in and have a browse, you may just find that unique gift, or a memento of your visit to Lincoln.

CROFT CARPETS
“Here at Croft Carpets our focus is on you the customer. We provide a free, none pressured shop at home service. Our motto is ‘people buy people first’ that’s why we have well trained staff with exceptional people skills. No job too big, no job too small. We deal with big companies and private customers, always ensuring attention to detail. So if you’re on the hunt for new living room carpet or a hallway in wood to wow your friends and family, we’re the ones to choose. Have you got furniture that you need moving? No problem! Our team of highly skilled fitters will make it their mission to move what they can.

“Simon Croft the owner, always ensures the best quality of workmanship. Simon started the company in 2007. With over 30 years’ experience he knows what he’s doing when it comes to flooring. He’s always got the customers best interests at heart.

“Simon does what it takes to make sure you get the right product for the right room. So if you want a carpet in your lounge, a laminate in your hallway, and a vinyl in your kitchen we have the product for you! We use big branded names in the flooring industry such as Brintons Carpets, Riviera Luxury Carpets, Cormar Carpets, Abingdon Carpets, Victoria Carpets, Moduleo flooring and Camaro Loc LVT. Or if you want curtains and blinds, we offer such brands as Olivia Bard, Kestrel Lister and Iliv.”

Call or visit instore today for your free quotation service.

GRIDLINE CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY
Gridline Racing in Lincoln will celebrate its 10th birthday this month, having first opened its doors on 5th November 2006. Located just a stone’s throw from Lincoln city centre, and with views of Lincoln Cathedral, Gridline Racing is Lincolnshire’s largest indoor racing circuit at 25,000 sq ft.

Guests as young as 8 are invited to take part on the 120cc Honda Biz kart, whilst guests over the age of 12 will get to use the 200cc Honda powered Sodi kart. Gridline Racing is also proud to be the only track in Lincolnshire with a two seater, two drive 270cc Sodi car, which means younger guests can get a chance to feel the thrills of racing round the circuit.

The indoor track has many benefits, meaning it is open all year round with late nights available seven days a week. Corporate parties, hen and stag dos, and birthday parties can all be pre-booked and at times to suit. Gridline offers many packages with the most popular Grand Prix Event at just £30pp, which includes a podium presentation with trophies.

As a company Gridline strive to surpass guests’ expectations and have invested year on year in the latest equipment. As the largest indoor karting centre in Lincolnshire they have attracted familiar faces including Guy Martin, Mark Wright, Jack Tweed and This Is England star Thomas Turgoose.

Gridline are proud to have had some of Britain’s most talented motorcycle riders visit the track, some for out of season training on Pit Bikes, such as Sam & Alex Lowes, Leon & Ron Haslam, Lee Jackson, Niall Mackenzie, Taylor Mackenzie, Tarron Mackenzie, Peter Hickman, Richard Cooper, Barry Barrell, Luke Stapleford, Steve Plater, Peter Boast, Kyle Ryde & Jake Dixon.

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