by Martin Thomas | Apr 4, 2024 | Blogging, Lincolnshire Blogger, Lincs Connect, LincsBlogger, LincsConnect
The Original Lincolnshire Blogger
The original Lincolnshire Blogger (AKA Martin Thomas, ‘Simply Fit’) came to prominence in January 2011 (with the Lincolnshire Blogger concept being born in 2009) and quickly grew in popularity. The dedicated website followed in November 2015.
Initially writing as a columnist in the Lincolnshire Echo, The Target, Retford Times, Horncastle News, Louth Leader, Market Rasen Mail, Weddings Today and a few other newspapers and magazines the theme has always remained the same. Helping and informing people has, and is still at the top of the agenda for the newspaper and web based blogs and columns.
The Original Lincolnshire Blogger – The Beginnings
Initially the published works began as health and fitness columns with links to local charities, organisations and clubs to help give them a voice in the media.
The first regular column was instigated on 7 September 2011 in The Lincolnshire Echo but prior to that the published writing goes back to November 2009 in my capacity as the sponsor for The Midwife Of The Year (MOTY). The domain names were established at the same time while waiting for the website to be built.
Here are a couple of my early columns dating back to 2011 and early 2012:
Early Columns
The Lincolnshire Blogger – Moving On
The popularity of my columns soon grew and demand increased as more invitations for writing and radio interviews began to arrive. I wrote articles both as ‘Simply Fit’ and ‘Lincolnshire Blogger’ but the latter didn’t take off properly until 2015.
Fast forward to Covid in 2020. The blogs took on a new focus. The supportive blogs to help and inform people were gratefully received.
The Last Blogs Before Covid
The last Blogs before the pandemic included ‘New Website’ and ‘The New Logo’ with one of the last blogs being an advertising blog for the ‘Comedy Hotspot’ events. Little did I know what was going to happen in just a matter of days after its publication!
Little did we know what was to come in just a few days time! If you would like to read one of the last blogs before the Pandemic lockdown just click on this link: Comedy Hotspot
The Lincolnshire Blogger With Covid
It’s ironic that it took a major pandemic to shake me out of my fear of writing blogs. Everything up until then felt like ‘practice’ for the real thing!
Having contracted Covid the day before lockdown I was quarantined in the house. Luckily my bedroom was next door to my office so as a result I made use of my time by brushing up on my blogging skills. The writing has always been easy for me. The fear of the technology (along with my dyslexia) had been holding me back. I find the computer quite easy to use but WordPress (the website & blogging platform) somehow felt extremely difficult.
My first lockdown blog doesn’t look the slickest in the world but it was the start of my ever improving blogging journey. Thank goodness for YouTube tutorials and the help from the local Twitter community.
“Have We Become Numb” was the first lockdown blog of many. Thankfully they improved over time! Click on the blue link above if you would like to have a look.
Moving Up-To-Date
We faced many challenges during the pandemic and the LincsConnect blogs certainly went a long way towards helping people to navigate their way through it. Post pandemic blogging helped us through new challenges as many of us were nervous about reverting back to our pre-pandemic lifestyle. Once again, I did my bit with my blogs to help as many people as possible.
Blogs For Advertising
Rather than becoming ‘old fashioned’, blogging has become even more relevant recently as many people turn away from familiar social media platforms and embrace new ones. Readership has become very fragmented across the many platforms with ever more confusing sites launching on a regular basis. Twitter has certainly changed (not for the better) and Facebook experiences ever increasing updates which makes it more and more difficult to navigate. The blog has remained constant and as a result continues to be the perfect advertising medium.
Gala Fireworks used a LincsConnect blog to advertise their event at the Lincolnshire Showground. The blog is extremely useful as it’s much bigger than a standard advert. It contains more information than a standard newspaper editorial yet has a small link that can be easily copied and posted on any social media platform. The link comes with its own advertising picture (of your choice) which can be embedded onto a website as a permanent advert. All in all, it ‘is’ the perfect advertising tool. Click on the blue link above to see how effective a blog can be for advertising.
More Blogs By LincsConnect
Take Your Advertising Forward
Get in touch if you would like to have a blog written for your business, organisation or charity. It’s ideal for advertising on any platform so contact me if you would like more information.
Alternatively, if you already write your own blogs you can get in touch to chat about sharing links.
Advert
Mandarin Therapies provides bespoke mobile complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home. Call 07966 174878 to book
18lb 6oz River Pike in the Dark.
Lincs Angler provides fishing tuition in the Lincolnshire area. Find more information in the Lincs Angler guest blog
by Martin Thomas | Feb 26, 2024 | Advertise, Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Blogger, Lincs Connect, LincsBlogger, LincsConnect, Networking, What's on Lincs
The LincsConnect Hour
The LincsConnect Hour is on Twitter (X) every last Monday evening of the month from 8.00pm.
How To Join The LincsConnect Hour
Hop across to Twitter (X) on the last Monday evening of the month from 8.00pm. It’s simple to join in, all you need to do is go to the Twitter search bar, type in #LincsConnect then tap on the ‘search’ button if you’re using the App or hit ‘return’ if you’re logged in from a computer search engine. Then tap or click ‘Latest’.
That’s it! Once you’re there, simply follow the instructions from whoever is hosting the Hour. The #LincsConnect Hour often starts off with introductions and adverts along with an invitation for embers to post any adverts they may have. General chat between members follows as part of the introductions then sometime around 8.10pm the host will post a question. There are often 3 or 4 questions during the Hour but the format is flexible and dependant on the host on the night.
This Monday 25 August 2025
Please do join us at 8.00pm
As well as being a successful author @EllieJayWrites is also a primary school teacher. Please do join her on Monday to discuss education. What do you think is most important in the current national curriculum? Perhaps you would like to share your thoughts on what should be taught in schools. Is home economics still relevant? Should pupils be taught to cook healthy meals? Perhaps ‘finances’ might be an important issue? We all need to budget and get the best deals so who taught you these skills? Monday will be your chance to discuss all manner of education so don’t forget to put a reminder on your phone.
The next #LincsConnect Hour will be on 29 September 2025 with Nigel Wass @Wass74
It could be you hosting…
Please do join us on Twitter at 8.00pm
Who Can Host?
Hosting is open to all local followers so if you would like to have a go just get in touch to organise a date.
Why Host?
Hosting is a great way to get yourself known and is ideal for promoting what you do. It’s FREE networking across the whole County and more often than not, the #LincsConnect hashtag can be found ‘trending’ across the world. That’s great free advertising for you!
Use this template for your advertising when you host the #LincsConnect Hour
Simple
That’s it! I told you it was simple!!
Trending
The #LincsConnect Hour trends almost every week so that makes it the ideal place for you to be networking and advertising.
Advert
This blog is sponsored by Mandarin Therapies
Contact Mandarin Therapies for your mobile complementary therapies, injury prevention and rehabilitation sessions. Tel 07966 174878
LincsConnect Hour Host Advertising
Hosts can now have their details and advert added to this blog so let me know if you would like to host and advertise. You can use this blog to advertise the fact that you are hosting and encourage more people to join you. The more people who join, the more exposure your advert gets!
Please Note…
As numbers dwindle on Twitter (X) and engagement falls I have made the decision to make this the last of the regular weekly #LincsConnect Hour sessions.
Depending on demand I may run a monthly, quarterly or bi-annual #LincsConnect Hour so please do get in touch if you would like to host.
Monthly #LincsConnect Hour
More Blogs By LincsConnect
We look forward to seeing you (virtually) on Monday evening.
by Martin Thomas | Jan 4, 2024 | Detox, Fitness, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Fitness
Mandarin Fitness Detox
Mandarin Fitness Detox – Did you over indulge over the Christmas holidays? Perhaps Easter was a chocolate fest? Are you ready to detox?
When Is The Best Time?
The simple answer is ‘NOW’
Now is the time detox. In fact, you’re already doing it. You don’t need to buy a special drink or go on a special ‘detox’ diet so put your credit card away.
Mandarin Fitness Detox – Every Day
Your body is detoxifying itself every single day of your life. It does it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, every year since the day you born.
If your body stops detoxifying itself, get medical help as a matter of urgency!
What Do You Need To Know About Detox?
The End
That’s it! There is no more to say about ‘detox’ other than to remind you to save your money by not believing the adverts that telly otherwise.
If you like this blog please do feel free to comment. Likewise, if you would like any other health and fitness advice please do feel free to contact me.
by Martin Thomas | Jan 2, 2024 | Fitness, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Fitness
Happy New Year With Mandarin Fitness Weight Loss
Here is a new series of blogs for you, starting with ‘Mandarin Fitness Weight Loss’ tips for the New Year.
With 33 years experience as a Personal Trainer I’m here to help you on your journey to health and happiness.
Over Indulged?
Christmas has been and gone already! Did you buy enough chocolates, alcohol, savoury snacks and treats to last the day…..week?
I’ve heard it said that many people consume around 4000 ‘extra’ Calories per day over the Christmas holidays. To put this into perspective; in order to burn off 1Lb of body fat you’ll need to burn an ‘extra’ 3500 Calories. Those ‘extra’ Calories means an awful lot of exercise! Read on for useful tips.
Mandarin Fitness Weight Loss – Don’t Despair
Don’t despair…
Gaining 5Lb (2-3kg) over the Christmas period isn’t really such a big deal so don’t despair. Body weight naturally fluctuates on a daily basis so resist the temptation to succumb to the advertising hype from the big companies. You ‘will’ be bombarded with the latest eating craze, special diets and prepared meals from all of the media and social media channels. ‘Don’t Despair – Do Resist’ the temptation to follow the crowd. Hold onto your money (at least until you’ve finished reading this blog) because you may find some simple and cheaper alternatives.
The Six Pack
Your 6 pack is always there but sometimes it needs a bit of work to tone it up. You’ll need to be very lean (very little body fat) to be able to see it, but it is there
For those of you who know me, you’ll know that I don’t particularly subscribe to the ‘six pack’ club. My preferred mantra is ‘healthy’ rather than obsessive. Don’t get me wrong though, the ‘six pack’ is good – but it’s just not a realistic goal for everyone. So, what can the answer be for those of us who don’t aspire to that type of figure or realistically understand that the ‘lean, mean, fighting machine’ body is never going to be achievable?
Here are some simple rules:
- Don’t feel guilty if you think you over indulged over the Christmas period.
- Love yourself as you are.
- Aspire to be healthy, pain free and able to move freely.
- Be prepared to make small changes on a regular basis to make sure you reach your goals.
- Be active and stay active.
I can think of many more rules but these five will hold you in good stead for the foreseeable future.
We all know that the consequences of over indulgence and not enough exercise can be fatal. Don’t obsess with your fitness and weight loss programme though. There are some simple changes that you can implement to help make lasting changes.
Mandarin Fitness Weight Loss – Small Changes
If you’re asking yourself “what should I do to help myself?” try starting with these simple tips:
- Make small, healthy changes to your diet.
- Don’t rush to make big changes all at once. The smaller changes are more likely to become habits that will be long lasting.
- Don’t run a marathon! Over exercising is the biggest cause of injury and it happens ‘every’ New Year! Becoming a statistic isn’t part of the game plan.
- Invest in appropriate clothing and footwear.
- Join a structured club or class that you are likely to enjoy. If you don’t enjoy the exercise you probably won’t stick at it.
Walking Is Free
Our digital age provides technology to help motivate us. In addition we have nice cameras on our phones so we can use them to help give us a reason for walking.
There are many free Apps available to help track our walks and activity. As an iPhone user I utilise the built in fitness App to track my activity and walks for myself and my client sessions. Other Apps available including ‘Map My Walk’ and ‘Strava’. A photo taken during the walk is a lovely way to record your activity too.
If you normally drink a late or cappuccino coffee try swapping it for an Americano coffee. Likewise, if you always eat ready meals, challenge yourself to cook a healthy meal instead. If you have a takeaway meal every week change it to once a month.
If you don’t normally go for a walk try starting off with 1 mile (1.5km) at a time on a daily basis. Your fitness levels ‘will’ improve and your weight ‘will’ reduce. These very simple change ideas can make a world of difference to your life. Adapting the idea to suite yourself is a perfect way to make permanent changes.
Mandarin Fitness Weight Loss – Superfoods
There is no such thing as a ‘superfood’. I’ll say that again in case you aren’t sure what you just read: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SUPERFOOD!
Don’t be fooled by the adverts on TV.
Mandarin Fitness Weight Loss – Exercises
Here are a few ideas for exercises that you might find useful. Don’t forget to start off gently to avoid injury. It’s better to stop while you’re feeling good than to push to fatigue then suffer the consequences later.
Mandarin Fitness Weight Loss Challenge
Small changes make all the difference. Challenge yourself to make a few small changes this month.
If you would like more help or information you can contact Martin on 07966 174878
by Martin Thomas | Nov 25, 2023 | Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, LincsConnectChristmas, ShopLincs
For Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas
For Christmas in Lincolnshire use #LincsConnectChristmas and #ShopLincs on your social media posts to reach more local people. Use the hashtags to post your gift ideas and bargains then encourage your followers to search the hashtags to discover more.
Trending
#LincsConnectChristmas is a seasonal hashtag which ‘trends’ globally each year so use it to reach out to your new customers. The #LincsConnect hashtag along with #ShopLincs are here for you every single day of the year so I recommend using them all.
The #LincsConnect hashtag trends most weeks during the #LincsConnect Hour on X so make sure you use it to your advantage. You’ll find more information later in this blog.
For Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas – It’s Free Advertising
Competition at this time of year is fierce so ‘NOW’ is the time to advertise websites and online shops.
Social media may not be the place to sell at Christmas but it is an ideal platform to guide readers to shops and websites. Include links on your posts to make life easier for readers to find your shop. Use social media to highlight offers and promote what you have to offer and make time to follow up any enquiries.
You can’t expect everyone to find you and buy your products so make sure you use your social media platforms to guide customers to your shop. I am repeating myself but I’m happy to do that if it helps you to understand the usefulness of social media as a tool to reach out to new customers.
#LincsConnect Hour
The #LincsConnect Hour takes place on X (Twitter) every Monday evening from 8.00pm. You can use it to reach out to local people with your adverts, chat and general support. The hashtag trends most weeks too which makes it the perfect platform for advertising yourself or organisation.
Hosting the #LincsConnect Hour on Twitter is FREE and an ideal way to reach out to locals. Get in touch today to arrange a date to host your Hour. I’ll say it again “For Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas“.
For Christmas In Lincolnshire Use #LincsConnectChristmas & Advertise On WhatsOnLincs
WhatsOnLincs is the new community web page on the LincsConnect website. You can use it to post free adverts from markets and car boot sales to charity events and entertainment, jobs, volunteering plus much more. You can even include pictures as well as links to websites. It’s all FREE so be sure to use it to find out What’s on in Lincolnshire.
New categories are being added as demand increases. As a result, there are new categories including ‘ShopLincs’ and ‘Christmas Events’. You can use this categories to advertise yourself, your Ofers and Christmas events. Advertising is FREE on the site too so please to make the most of it.
Once you have posted your advert you can copy the link to post on any social media platform. This will save you from having to type new adverts each time.
Here To Help
LincsConnect has been working hard to help local traders, organisations and charities but we do need to help each other. By posting links from the website to your social media platforms you will be helping to promote the free website. That’s all I ask of you!
Be A Sponsor
You can pay to advertise on the website of course. Each sponsor will have their logo and website/socials link on each page of the website. Anyone who views the site or posts a free advert will see you. If you would like to become a sponsor and would like more information please get in touch.
Advert
Mandarin Therapies & Mandarin Mothers provide bespoke complementary therapies from the comfort of your own home. Treatments include Antenatal & Postnatal therapies and Aromatherapy massage as well as injury prevention and injury rehabilitation. Ask about the bespoke Biomechanics assessments too. Call 07966 174878 to book your session or to order a personalised gift voucher in time for Christmas.
Additional Blogs
Merry Christmas Everyone
I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and I look forward to chatting to you all sometime soon.
by Martin Thomas | May 13, 2023 | Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, What's On Lincolnshire, WhatsOnLincoln, WhatsOnLincolnshire, WhatsOnLincs
LincsConnect In Lincolnshire
The LincsConnect account is here for you to use. Here’s how to make the most of the hashtag in Lincolnshire:
Many people choose to add the hashtag #LincsConnect to their posts and rely on the @LincsConnect Twitter accounts to repost for them. However, it’s possible to get much more from the hashtag and this video will show you how:
Leaving your post for @LincsConnect on Twitter, @LincsConnect on Facebook, @LincsConnect on @Bluesky or @LincsConnect on Threads to repost for you has its limitations. Many people (wrongly) assume that @LincsConnect is run by a marketing company with dedicated time to manage the account. The reality is that the accounts are managed by one volunteer with limited time to spend on the account during the day and evening.
By following the tips on the YouTube clip above you’ll be able to create your own network from the #LincsConnect users. When you support each other, your network will grow and by using the hashtag, others will see your conversations too. As a result, while you are busy growing your own network, you’ll find it’ll also improve organically as more people join you. With almost 13,000 ‘local’ Lincolnshire followers on Twitter and a growing following on Bluesky, joining the @LincsConnect family will make perfect sense for you, your organisation, business or charity.
Why You Don’t Need To Include The @LincsConnect Address
While using the #LincsConnect ‘hashtag’ it’s worth noting that you don’t need to include the @LincsConnect ‘address’ in the same tweet! When you use the # hashtag you’re sending your tweet to the database for all to see and interact with. However, if you use the ‘@’ account name you’re sending your tweet to just one person! It’s all in the video so hopefully it makes sense now.
‘Quote’ Sparingly
When retweeting posts you’ll be given the option to ‘Repost’ or ‘Quote’ (Repost with a comment). The retweet (or repost as it’s now called) is by far the most effective way of helping to increase the visibility of tweets by others. Retweeting shows you support others by moving the retweeted post onto your timeline. It’s a very helpful way of supporting others, especially if they have very few followers.
The ‘quote’ option is only helpful if you own a powerful account that enjoys lots of engagement. The quoted tweet is shown as your own tweet for your followers to see. However, if your account isn’t powerful with a large engagement rate you won’t be doing anyone any favours by quoting! When quoting someone else’s tweet instead of retweeting it you’re effectively stopping the tweet from being seen by others. Think carefully before quoting a tweet and use the option sparingly.
LincsConnect In Lincolnshire Is Non-Political
The aim of the #LincsConnect hashtag is to support each other. However, please be aware that the hashtag is strictly non-political and non-religious. As a result, any political, religious, hateful or offensive (including bad language) messages will be dealt with swiftly.
LincsConnect Hour In Lincolnshire
Join us on Monday evening at 8.00pm for the #LincsConnect Hour where you’ll find lots of locals chatting. We often have guest hosts too so it’s always interesting. Follow the instructions in the video above to join in with the Hour. If you would like to host the Hour please do get in touch.
Join the Twitter based #LincsConnect Hour on Mondays at 8.00pm
WhatsOnLincs By LincsConnect
During a #LincsConnect Hour one Monday evening I asked where people were advertising for their events etc. The overwhelming response was that there is nowhere to advertise that covers the whole County!
After suggesting a dedicated page on the website for everyone to advertise for free the response by 100% of the people was ‘yes please’. You can use it now to discover what’s on in Lincolnshire and our surrounding area as well as post your events and much more.
I asked, you responded so I organised it. The WhatsOnLincs website page has been developed especially for you. You can use it to post your events, special offers, vacancies etc by completing the simple ‘Event Submission’ form on the LincsConnect website. It is hoped to cover the whole of the What’s On Lincolnshire categories. However, if you try to post something and can’t find a suitable category, just ask me to add it for you. If you want to find out what’s going on in the County just go to the ‘WhatsOnLincs’ page and type in the date that you are searching for. This is quickly becoming a very popular site to find out what’s on in Lincolnshire and surrounding areas.
It ‘is’ that simple!
Click or tap on the link to go straight to the WhatsOnLincs (WhatsOnLincolnshire) page
Paid Adverts
If you would like to advertise on the LincsConnect website please get in touch. Paid adverts are visible on every page and will be seen by anyone placing a free advert or searching for information on the WhatsOnLincs page. You can contact me through the ‘Contact‘ page on the website of click on this link to email me directly: martin@lincsConnect.co.uk
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Social Media Trends
LincsConnect Stars
Free Advertising In Lincolnshire
LincsConnect Hour
Sponsored Blog
Mobile Massage In Lincolnshire With Mandarin Therapies
That’s It For Now
I look forward to tweeting with you soon.
