by admin | Aug 16, 2020 | Advertise, Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Art, Authors, Bands, Beauty, beauty Therapy, Facebook, Food, Garden Centres, Gardening, Grantham, IT, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Restaurant, Twitter, Vouchers
LincsConnect has been busy on your behalf and things are set to get even busier. Click on the picture to see what’s been happening… Help me help you in Lincolnshire and beyond
Help Me Help You In Lincolnshire With #LincsConnect
Help me help you in Lincolnshire with #LincsConnect by interacting with the many local users. It can’t have escaped your attention that I’ve been busy on your behalf. #LincsConnect help and support is a given of course with retweets on twitter and posts on Facebook to help promote your business and events. Blogs too of course! I know you appreciate what I do and I appreciate the fact that you share what I’m doing too. I still need you to help me, help you in Lincolnshire though.
#LincsConnect – is here to support all things Lincolnshire but it only works when we work as a team. With 12,500 Twitter followers (steadily growing) I know that your help is working for me too. However, at the risk of sounding cheeky, I still need more help. Working together as a team is even more important than it ever has been. You’re still posting your work using LincsConnect and I’m very grateful. LincsConnect is trying hard to share your work around Lincolnshire, Newark, Retford and Hull but I really need to ask more people to search the hashtag #LincsConnect (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) to help share the messages and support each other.
Just imagine, if all 12,500 local followers each searched the #LincsConnect hashtag and shared just one message….!
How Can LincsConnect Help You More?
What else can LincsConnect do for you? Please let me know as I have plans for the account and need to know that it isn’t missing something important.
#LincsArtCraftHour
If you read my last blog you will recall that we have a dedicated weekly hour set aside on Monday lunchtimes to help promote artists, crafters, jewellery designers and sculptors. Please take a look at the link below to refresh your memory:
I had a question for the Artists who join us and those of you who will be looking to see what masterpieces and bargains are on offer: Which hashtag would you prefer? Are you happy with #LincsArtCraftHour or do you think it would be better as #LincsArtCraft hour? The latter is shorter and more general as it can be used at any time while the original idea is very specific to the Monday lunchtime hour. Jointly you chose #LincsArtCraftHour so that is what we have been using for the last two years.
Guest Blogs
Do you have something to say that you would like to have included in the regular #LincsConnect blogs? Please do get in touch if you would like to have your work included as it’s always nice to see you here.
Help me, help you in Lincolnshire and beyond. If you would like to collaborate with your blog here please email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Help Me, Help You In Lincolnshire With Featured Twitter Hours…
Do you have any featured hours that you would like to see on twitter? How about #LincsAuthors, #LincsMarkets, #LincsConnectJobs #LincsIT, #LincsHousing, #LincsGardening, #LincsCharities #LincsFoodDrink …..? Who do you think should have their own featured hour? The hashtag is here to help you so whether you’re a trader, a charity or a potential customer, I wan’t to make sure that #LincsConnect has something for you. Please do email your suggestions to me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk Perhaps you would like to host your own #LincsConnect hour? I’m always open to suggestions so please do get in touch. After all, help in Lincolnshire with #LincsConnect is a two way process.
Here To Help
If there is something you need would you like to do a skills swap? Would anyone be interested in a #LincsSwaps hour? An our each week where you can offer your skills to swap for something of equal value? Some of us may be finding finances a little tight at the moment but are willing to trade to get what we need.
Here’s an example: A local restaurant may be in need of leaflets for a local leaflet drop and be willing to swap a meal to the value of £xxx in return for 200 hundred leaflet. That’s just an example of course. The exact figures would have to be agreed privately by the restaurant and the designer/printer but you get the idea I’m sure. Again, if this interests enough people I’ll happily organise it. You’ll need to get in touch though so that I know whether to go ahead with the idea or not. Help in Lincolnshire with #LincsConnect only happens when we work together.
Advertising/Local Discounts
Advertising space is always available on the blog so if you would like a spot here please let me know. I could also arrange a feature with your advert to help highlight your business/organisation. Again, just get in touch to make arrangements. You can email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Perhaps you have a special offer or would like to offer readers a discount? You could have a voucher on here to share across the County.
Advert
20% discount on Mandarin Leisure services for all NHS, 999 and military members across the County.
Featured Song Of The Week By A Local Artist
Each week I include a local artist, band or choir on twitter to highlight their work and show off the great talents that we have in our county. If you have a favourite band with music on YouTube that you think should be featured please let me know.
All last week I featured Alex Cavan from Grantham with his song ‘Waterfall’. If you would like to hear him just click on the picture below to go straight to his YouTube upload.
To hear Alex singing ‘Waterfall’ just click on the picture and if you would like to follow him on Twitter you’ll find him at @AlexCavanMusic
It’s For You…
The blog is here for you to support everything from the North to South, East and West of the County and bordering towns and villages too. It’s for you and the rest of our community so please, please, please do share this blog and lets see if we can get more people reading it and interacting.
Stay Safe
Stay safe everyone and keep looking out for your neighbours.
by admin | Aug 9, 2020 | Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Art, beauty Therapy, Covid-19, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, Lincs Police, LincsConnect, LincsPolice, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Networking, police, Postnatal
Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour
Join us each Monday on twitter from 12.00pm for the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour.
Paint On Canvas…
Have you heard about the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour (#LincsArtCraftHour) yet? It’s twitter based and includes artists and crafters from Lincolnshire, Newark, Retford and Hull. A great place for the experts to meet to show what they do. As a result, it’s a fantastic place to shop too!
What image does ‘art’ bring to mind? If you’ve ever been to The National Gallery you’ll have seen paintings from small to extremely large. However, if you’ve been to Tate Modern you’ll have seen something completely different. Art is about paint on canvas but it’s also much more than that. We can debate good and bad art but what it all boils down to is ‘do I like it’? You can introduce someone new to the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft hour today.
Who’s The Artist?
It isn’t me! We all have our own talents though (art isn’t mine) so we must be grateful for that. I know what I like as soon as I see it, as a result I set up this hour to showcase the many and varied art forms from our area. We all like different things of course and that’s what makes the hour so appealing. Who is the ‘artist’ then? Well, I believe that it’s the photographer, the jewellery maker, the crafter, the potter… Art isn’t just paint on canvas but without the paint on canvas the art world would’t be complete!
How Do You Find Your Art?
There are many places to find art and in Lincolnshire we are blessed with some fantastic galleries and shops. Social media provides a good platform for art shopping too of course so it’s time to make the most of it. I’ve found some stunning pieces of art on social media so I’ve been able to chat to the artists in real time while shopping. Not every conversation ends in a sale but that doesn’t matter. The conversations help to build a following, the followers have friends, the friends have friends and family… If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, someone somewhere is going to like what the artist is doing. That leads to sales and commissions.
Get Involved with the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour
If you’re a Twitter user you’ll be familiar with ‘hashtag hours’ which involves every interested person on the planet (or so it seems) interacting about one subject. It usually feels like a frenzy of tweets and conversations. Choose a subject and there will probably be a dedicated hour to it! They are fantastic platforms for networking and getting messages seen but they can be difficult to follow. By the time you’ve seen a post, reacted to it and asked a question you’ll have missed 30 or 40 other posts.
Frenzy Free Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour
I want to remove that ‘frenzy’. A dedicated hour using the #LincsConnect hashtag on Twitter with Lincolnshire artists of all genres posting art, messages, links and special offers. The beauty of the hashtag is that anyone can search it at any time. The #LincsConnect #LincsArtCraftHour is on Monday from 12.00pm – 1.00pm but you can still search through it at any time of the week. In fact, you can search back weeks, months or years! Once the tweet is there, it stays there until the author deletes it. By duplicating the idea onto Facebook I want to include others who don’t use Twitter.
Get Involved
If you’re interested please do get in touch by email so that I can get everything coordinated. You can email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
When?
Every Monday:
From Monday 7 September 2020 between 12.00pm – 1.00pm.
How Will the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Work?
Here’s the deal:
It’s FREE!
It will rely on the artists and crafters to post their messages, links, pictures and special offers which MUST include the hashtags #LincsArtCraftHour and #LincsConnect
The hashtag #LincsConnect will automatically post your message to the database for everyone to see. Assume no one is looking for you on the hashtag until YOU tell them to have a look!
Post your messages with the hashtags and tag in your friends. Ask them to help spread the message by telling their friends. This cascade of conversation can quickly get the hashtag seen and used locally. As a result your posts will be seen by more and more people.
Here’s the crucial bit: You ‘must’ search the hashtag during the week to look at the posts and do your free networking. Get into conversations, say something positive, share other peoples posts. The more you share for others, the more likely they are to share for you.
Scheduled Posts
Don’t worry that you aren’t available during the #LincsArtCraftHour because you can schedule your messages in advance to make sure that they hit the hashtag at the right time.
LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour – What’s In It For You?
The posts will be on twitter but I will also do follow up arts blogs. I’ll search the hashtag to see who has been interacting with others and as a ‘thank you’ I’ll highlight the posts in future blogs. I’ll also include links to your websites and social media pages.
What’s In It For Me?
I’ll create paid advertising slots, paid blog links and paid features. The whole process will be time consuming for me so I will need to have some form of recompense for my work. Will it make me a fortune? No! Will it pay my bills? Probably not! I always enjoy helping others though and if I can manage to produce a small income from my efforts, all the better.
Click on the picture to go straight to Daves Facebook page or click on this link @DaveSpherical to find him on Twitter
Dave recently joined me on Twitter and ‘Oh Boy’ he has some stunning pictures for sale. In this day and age where photos are easy to take with our digital mobile phones and editing platforms it’s such a joy to see some truly stunning pictures of nature at its best. This is just one picture of many that Dave has taken and is offering for sale so if you like what you see you should definitely get in touch.
Mel is widely known around the County and beyond and when you see her artwork you’ll understand why. Click on the picture to go straight to her website or click on this link @MelLangtonArt to follow her on Twitter
Mel creates some truly remarkable artwork including bespoke commissions like the one you can see above. I’ve been quietly following Mel on Twitter and can honestly say that her artwork really needs to be seen (and purchased of course).
Click on the picture to go to Ellies Etsy shop or click on this link @ElliesTreasures to follow her on Twitter
Arts and crafts go hand in hand and I’m sure you’ll agree that this hand made key ring really is delightful. You’ll find much more on Ellies Etsy shop page so why not pop over (click on the picture above) to discover more. I certainly don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Click on this picture to go straight to the Etsy Shop page of Twibell Arts or click on this link @TwibellArts to follow Serena on Twitter. I’ve been following Serena for several years and am always amazed at her talent and versatility. Not only did she paint the picture of this gorgeous cat (commissions welcome) but she also made the decorations in the picture too.
Manipulating an image (in this case ‘two’ images) to make an interesting piece of art is really special. This image of Lincoln High Street was taken by John and blended with an old image to create a piece of art that goes beyond the normal photograph. Click on this picture to go to Johns website or click on this link @jpbphoography to follow him on twitter.
Advertising
If you would like to place an advert on the Lincs Connect blogs please do get in touch. Bloggers can also have links to their blogs here too. Get in touch today if you would like to feature here by contacting me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Advert
Mandarin Therapies and Mandarin Mothers provide bespoke mobile complementary therapies (Covid-19 safe) including Aromatherapy massage, Antenatal, postnatal massage and injury rehabilitation. Click on the picture to go to the website or click on the links above to go to the social media pages
Social
PCC Marc Jones is looking for young people to join the Lincolnshire Commission. It’s an opportunity for young people to help the police better understand their concerns and thoughts.
Click on the picture above to go to the website
See You Soon – At the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour
That’s it for now but there will be lots more blogs here so please keep the link handy and log in for a quick catchup when you get the chance.
In Case You Missed It
Stay Safe
The rules have’t changed – keep washing our hands as it’s the best way to help control Covid-19
by admin | Mar 22, 2020 | Afternoon Tea, Bawtry, Beauty, beauty Therapy, Bracebridge Heath, Coronavirus, COVID19, Doddington Hall, Food, Gainsborough, Garden Centres, Gardening, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Pennell's Garden Centre, Petwood Hotel, Scunthorpe, Take Away, Takeaway, The Small Beer Ltd, two Hotel, Waxing
Lincolnshire Businesses Fight Back
It can’t have escaped your attention that since the Corona Virus outbreak businesses and communities have adapted at an amazing rate. Closures of our friendly and much loved businesses have meant local (and national) bosses have had to seriously ‘up their game’ in order to carry on trading. We have enjoyed the comforts and luxuries of fine dining, takeaway dining, drinking at home, drinking in the local pubs, visiting and socialising with friends and family, theatre, cinema….. I could take up the whole blog just listing the things we have been enjoying that have come to an abrupt halt over the last few days. Finances are obviously a big concern so making swift decisions to recoup potential future losses has been a priority for many.
Takeaway Or Takeaway…?
Being used to having so much choice it’s inevitable that the sudden closure of our local businesses has come as quite a shock. Finances aside, it’s been heartening to see local hotels step up to the mark to carry on providing a service for us. In Woodhall Spa the beautiful Petwood Hotel (the home of so much Lincolnshire and National history) has turned it’s hand to providing take away (or order and collect) ‘Petwood Afternoon Tea’ as well as their special ‘Petwood Basics Box’ – I haven’t had chance to sample the latter yet but I’m sure it’ll be a very special treat. It’s certainly not going to be your traditional idea of a fast food takeaway that’s for sure. Perhaps that’ll be the subject of a separate blog all of its own.
Home of so much local and national history, a beautiful building and delightful gardens it’s hardly surprising that Managing Director Emma Brealey and her fabulous team would ‘step up to the mark’ and produce something special to keep their loyal customers and friends happy. If you haven’t visited yet I highly recommend you make it a special treat sometime later this year when the Corona Virus ordeal has relented. Here’s a little reminder of what you might experience:
Possibly one of the countries most photographed hotels. the Petwood Hotel is certainly outstanding. Give them a call on 01526 352 411 to book your next stay
Beautiful Borders
Lincs Connect doesn’t ‘just’ cover Lincolnshire. We have lots of local businesses on our borders serving people from our county and one such business is Bare Waxing on Bawtry Road in Hatfield Woodhouse. Just down the road from Scunthorpe and not too far from Gainsborough this beauty salon is run by Nichola. Initially starting as a small beauty therapy business I have seen Nichola build it up with increasing members of staff and now a second salon in Doncaster too. Obviously offering a waxing service but also including fake tans, nails, massages and all the usual beauty services. Having known Nichola for some time I can personally recommend her and her team.
Bare Waxing in Hatfield Woodhouse is certainly worth a visit if you’re in the Scunthorpe area. You can contact Nichola on tel:01302846873
Fancy A Tipple?
Drinking in the bars, restaurants and hotels of the County aren’t an option at the moment but if you fancy a drink you could visit one of our many breweries for a takeaway beer or perhaps pay a visit to Small Beer Ltd in Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, Don’t be fooled by their name, ‘Small’ Beer isn’t actually a small shop, it’s more of a very successful going concern that has been around for over 40 years. selling bottled beers and ciders through to cask ales as well as soft drinks and spirits. In fact, they’ve got quite a range and I’m looking forward to paying a visit very soon. Just to make life easier, you can order online or even through their own App. Life doesn’t get much easier!
Small Beer Ltd are open to the public and can be found on Churchill Business Park, Sleaford Road, Bracebridge Heath or why not give them a ring on 01522 540 431
How Does Your Garden Grow…With Free Delivery
As many of us will be spending more time at home it makes perfect sense that Pennell’s Garden Centres in Lincoln, Cleethorpes and Sleaford should be offering free delivery of plants, shrubs and equipment. As I write this I can see that the sun is shining outside and I can hear the sounds of lawn mowers and scarifiers. Spring is here and while we have an enforced period at home what better way to responding your time than catching up with the gardening and preparing it for (hopefully) a glorious Summer. Why not give the team a call to discuss your early Spring purchases
Pennell’s Garden Centres are located in Lincoln, Cleethorpes and Sleaford. If you would like to contact them for your Spring purchases just click pn this picture to see their website
On The subject of Free Delivery…
Did you know that the Doddington Hall Farm Shop is now offering free delivery and they use an electric car to do it too! I’m sure everyone in Lincoln must be aware of Doddington Hall with its lovely walks, fantastic building and fabulous cafe and shops. Sadly the cafe is closed at the moment but the Farm shop is still in full swing offering free local delivery for up to 10 miles and a very small charge for journeys up to 25 miles. Perhaps, as a farm shop where they produce much of their own produce I should schedule another dedicated blog to cover it and some of the other wonderful farm shops that we have in the County. For those of us who are regular frequenters of Doddington Hall, we’ll know exactly how good it is. If you haven’t tried their produce, you’ll just have to take my word for it. You can visit the Doddington Hall website simply by clicking on the picture below:
Just A Sample
Obviously there is much more going on in our lovely County so this is just a very small snapshot. If you would like me to do a full blog on your business why not get in touch? You can tweet me of course @LincsConnect or drop me an email at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk I’ll be more than happy to help promote your local business or charity. Talking of which, have you seen my ever expanding blog which highlights the good things people are doing during the CoronaVirus pandemic? If you know of any good deeds happening around the county that need a mention please do get in touch.
Contact me if you would like your business or charity adding to this blog
That’s all I have time for at the moment but there will be more blogs and updates coming very soon.
Stay safe everyone. Keep your distance and keep your hands clean
