by admin | Aug 30, 2020 | Antenatal, Aromatherapy, Art, Christmas, Covid-19, Domestic Abuse, Hashtags, Hotel, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincolnshire Heritage, Lincs Connect, Lincs Police, LincsConnect, LincsPolice, Louth, Mandarin, Mandarin Therapies, Massage, Mobile, Museum, Networking, police, Postnatal, Restaurant, Twitter, Vouchers
#EatOutToHelpOut Ends But…
Looking forward to a bright Christmas in Lincolnshire in 2020. The #EatOutToHelpOut scheme officially comes to an end on Bank Holiday Monday 31 August. I sincerely hope it has been a great boost to our local businesses and economies.
Not all of us have been able to take advantage of course as we’ve experienced some serious income deficits during the lockdown period. However, ‘every little helps’ so let’s hope that the Lincolnshire restaurateurs have been able to recoup enough income for them to feel confident to spend more of their money locally.
Recession?
We’ve heard the stories about the recession and possible price rises over the coming months but there are also stories about ‘green shoots’ in the economy. The resilience of the British people to get on with their businesses to make money and pull the economy forward is a key to our success.
There’s much speculation with stories of ‘doom and gloom’ but I think it’s important to remember that many of the stories are literally just ‘stories’ written by journalists (trained or untrained). They may have an agenda unbeknown to us and may even be from a foreign country.
With that in mind, my cup is definitely half full. Focusing on the bright side and being determined to make business work is what I do. I truly believe that we (that’s you and I) are capable of making our businesses successful regardless of the circumstances surrounding us. Do we need help? Do we need to collaborate? Do we need to focus on the good things? Absolutely!
I’m prepared to accept help and advice all day long and I believe it’s one of the keys to success. Knowing when you’re out of your depth and needing help is crucial. As is knowing when to employ an expert to do a job properly. When we work together we can often achieve much more so let’s Keep working and talking to each other.
#LincsConnectChristmas
Use the hashtag to promote your business, charity gift idea or event this Christmas
After a pretty dreadful summer I believe we need to look forward to a bright Lincolnshire Christmas. We don’t know what the future will bring with Covid-19 but we do know that Christmas is coming! Whether you like it or not, celebrate it or not, or even believe in it or not, the fact remains that it will be here on 25 December and we need to be prepared for it. We may not be out partying as we have in previous years but we are resilient enough and creative enough to make it a good celebration.
#LincsConnectChristmas starts on 7 September to coincide with the new #LincsArtCraftHour. Combining the two will give us the opportunity to see what our local talented and creative people have to offer. We’ll have the opportunity to shop early and safely by avoiding the usual Christmas rush because, well, let’s face it, we really don’t know yet if there will be movement and shopping restrictions in place to avoid another Covid-19 wave of destruction.
A Christmas Hamper
In previous years we’ve had a virtual Christmas hamper where we’ve been able to add items of our own or recommend items from other traders. The idea seemed to work well so I think it’ll be a good idea to do it again.
It’s time to start filling the Christmas Hamper…
The hashtag works on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram so let’s start thinking about filling it up with lots of local goodies. Perhaps an example here might be useful. How about these messages:
“I think the #LincsConnectChristmas hamper needs some speciality chocolates. I highly recommend @BonBonLincoln who produce exquisite designer chocolates”
“No #LincsConnectChristmas hamper will be complete without some bespoke Christmas cards by @CardsOfGrimsby”
Adding a picture with each message will soon get the attention of local shoppers and will make the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag the place to look for local independent Christmas shopping. With your help we can get this hashtag noticed and talked about around Lincolnshire and beyond to turn it into the ‘shop window’ for everyone to see.
A Christmas Meal
With no #EatOutToHelpOut scheme in place hotels, restaurants, cafes and bars will want to advertise their special meals and party events so the #LincsConnectChristmas hashtag is going to be ‘the’ place for them to advertise and I’m sure they’ll appreciate our support.
Let’s Work Together
I’m sure we can make Christmas a huge success but I do think that we will have to work together to achieve it. Am I confident? Absolutely!
Put It In Your Diary
The #LincsConnectChristmas and #LincsArtCraftHour both start on Monday 7 September at noon. Use the hashtags, search the hashtags and tell your friends about the hashtags. They’re here for ‘you’.
Advert
Mandarin Therapies & Mandarin Mothers provide bespoke mobile complementary therapies in the comfort of your own home, hotel or nursing home across the whole of Lincolnshire and beyond. Gift vouchers are available for that special person too.
Previous Blogs
To find out more about the #LincsArtCraftHour follow this link to the previous blog:
Community
A message from Supt Paul Timmins of Lincolnshire Police following some sad and tragic deaths on Lincolnshire roads recently:
Click on this picture to open the video in Twitter
Click on this picture to open the video on Facebook
We see far too many road deaths in Lincolnshire so please always ‘be aware’ and don’t become a statistic. We love you just the way you are…. ‘alive’!
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse doesn’t have age limits. If you know someone who is suffering call the police today. You’ll find some useful numbers here but if there is an immediate threat of harm call 999.
A Helpful App
Visit your App Store to download this free App to your device
Let’s pretend you’re out walking or have gone for a drive when you come across an accident. You dial 999 to contact the emergency services for help but then you don’t know exactly where you are. You know you’re in the middle of a field or on a country road but you couldn’t direct the emergency services to the incident. I imagine you might feel completely helpless!
I saw a post on Twitter asking the public to download the App What3Words so obviously I did. I didn’t expect to ever have to use it but thought it would be a good ‘insurance policy’ should the unexpected ever happen. I have actually used it though. I was able to give the three words that were displayed on my iPhone screen to the control room who directed the fire service to the field fire that I had discovered on my way home last winter. That’s it! It really is that easy. All you have to do is open the App and you’re immediately given 3 unique words that identify your exact location.
When opening the App you’re given the option to share the 3 words via social media or email or send it directly to one of your contacts so it’s a great way to pass on your location to friends if you are meeting them in town. Typing the three words into the search bar your friends are able to navigate directly to you using the App so as well as being the all important navigation tool in emergencies it’s also a brilliant tool for finding your friends.
Louth Museum
Perhaps you could try out your new What3Words App with your friends. If you’re on your travels why not pop in to Louth Museum? It’s open to the public again and there is no need to book. The museum is over two floors (stair lift available for those who may need it) and you’ll be respectfully requested to wait outside if the museum is full when you arrive. Covid-19 regulations are in place of course so don’t forget your mask. I’ve had a look at the website www.louthmuseum.org.uk and discovered a virtual tour as well as Ruth’s Blog page. I thought you might find this interesting; It’s a factual account of the Lincolnshire floods in Louth on 29 May 1920. Imagine seeing a 2m wall of water heading into town…
Click on the picture to read the blog
Just imagine how useful What3Words would have been in this situation if it had been available then. Technology has certainly moved on at a remarkable pace!
Stay Safe
That’s the blog done for now but if you have something that you would like me to include or would like to advertise please get in touch. Have a lovely Bank Holiday everyone. Look after yourself and look 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
