After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1

After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1

by | Mar 29, 2020 | Afternoon Tea, Cleethorpes, Coronavirus, Kinema, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mother's Day, Petwood Hotel, Railway, Scunthorpe, Vouchers, WhatsOnLincs, Woodhall Spa

After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1

After the coronavirus in Lincolnshire part 1 – What have we got to look forward to? Lincolnshire has lots to offer so get set to explore.  As this is part 1, the title indicates that there are more parts to this blog and, by definition, more and more things to look forward to.

After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – Let’s Socialise

The list is almost endless of course.  The Coronavirus won’t be with us for ever I’m sure so it’s nice to be able to think ahead to life after ‘lockdown’.  What would be your choice?  Fish n’ chips perhaps?  What about fine dining or a lovely pub meal?  Perhaps a trip to the seaside or a visit to your local church?  A really important thing to focus on is the social aspect of our lives.  It’ll be lovely to just socialise again wouldn’t it.

The Kinema In The Woods

After the coronavirus part 1 - The Kinema In The Woods, Woodhall Spa on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect, the Lincolnshire blogger

The Kinema In The Woods, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire

Perhaps it’s not an obvious choice for some but what about a trip to the cinema?  Have you ever been to The Kinema In The Woods in Woodhall Spa?  If you haven’t, I can personally recommend a visit.  Blockbuster movies are available but something you might not have realised is how The Kinema has maintained its history.  Yes, there are some new screens but the ambiance remains the same.  You can still enjoy a good movie on the big screen but you’ll also enjoy an intermission to purchase your ice cream and drinks at ‘normal’ prices.  If you’re lucky you’ll be able to enjoy the dancing feet of Alan Underwood as he entertains on the spectacular organ and remote piano.

After the coronavirus part 1 - The Kinema In The Woods, Woodhall Spa on whatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect, the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

The Kinema In The Woods, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire

Such is the fame of The Kinema that you will no doubt be able to find numerous pictures and videos of it when you search the internet.  These pictures have been borrowed from their website but I’m sure The Kinema will be more that happy to see your pictures too if you care to share them on Twitter @TheKinema – I’m sure they will be delighted if you would follow them there too.

It goes without saying of course that The Kinema has suffered the same fate as the rest of us due to the Coronavirus lockdown.  However, if you fancy purchasing some vouchers for birthday, Mother’s Day or any other day for that matter I can’t think of a nicer way to treat someone during our period of isolation.

After the coronavirus part 1 - The Kincema In. The Woods, Woodhall Spa gift vouchers on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

You can order your vouchers by clicking here

The Petwood Hotel

Skipping across the village (just around the corner actually) you’ll be able to visit the fabulous Petwood Hotel.  Yes, I know I’ve mentioned it before but it is a beautiful hotel with fabulous staff and, as the spiritual home of LincsConnect it does hold a special place in my heart.

After the coronavirus part 1 - The Petwood Hotel is the spiritual home of LincsConnect. On WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire

The grounds and building are always spectacular and each season helps to create a special magic.  Not only have I organised Nordic Walking sessions from the hotel but Emma was kind enough to host the LincsConnect networking meetings on Friday evenings too.  With a bit of luck they will return in the not-too-distant future (let’s keep our fingers crossed).  However, in the mean time The Petwood Hotel is a lovely place to visit for Afternoon Tea, lunch, or a delicious evening meal.  The history housed in the hotel is really quite breathtaking too so if you get the chance to visit for a coffee, a glass of wine or a G&T in the gardens be sure to take a wander around inside.  You won’t be disappointed whatever the weather.

After the coronavirus part 1 - The Petwood Hotel on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

The Petwood Hotel, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire

It would be a poor show if you couldn’t get a gift voucher so the Petwood Hotel is ready to deliver (excuse the pun) there too.  You can order and have a bespoke gift voucher delivered as a .PDF to your email address.  What could be more convenient?

After the coronavirus part 1 - Petwood Hotel Gift Vouchers on WhatsOnLincs what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

To order you Petwood Hotel gift voucher click here

Time Alone

There are so many lovely places to visit and things to do in our fabulous County of Lincolnshire so let’s not forget how diverse it is.  From the beautiful towns and villages to the wide open spaces of the fens and the rolling hills of the Wolds.  We really are lucky.  Socialising, whether we realise it or not, is something we have (perhaps) taken for granted.  It’s not until we’ve had the luxury taken away from us for a while that we realise how much we crave it.

I’m talking from a personal point of view of course but I wonder if I’m expressing the thoughts of many?  I often like to be on my own;  Walks alone, bike rides alone, driving alone….. ‘home alone’…  but now I realise that I’m never really alone.  Family is everything to me so now I realise that my periods alone are just times to reflect and rejuvenate.

After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – What Next?

Being such social creatures perhaps it’s the simple things that we have missed the most?  By the time this is all over will we have re-evaluated our priorities?  I’m only speculating of course but will we be moving away from the big corporate organisations and move instead to the family run businesses and sole traders who will offer us the quality we want without the ‘designer label’ price tags?

As we become more ecologically aware will we be less inclined to travel so far and more inclined to value what we have on our doorstep?  Let’s face it, we have so much on our doorstep that it’s difficult to decide what we want and what we are looking forward to the most.  Personally I’m looking forward to getting back outside with my Nordic Walking groups to enjoy good company in the ever changing environment that Mother Nature serves to us.

After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – The High Street Is Changing

The High Street is changing and will probably not change back to what we had become used to.  Perhaps now is the time for the sole traders and small businesses to step up to the mark and become the national or even global kings and queens of the future.  Could we do it?  I’ve seen things change around me in a very short space of time.  Politicians of all persuasions are talking to each other like never before while at the same time big High Street shops are closing their doors with little or no likelihood of them re-opening again.

All of this makes me ask the question; What have we got and what are we looking forward to…?

Fish and chips?  How about Fish and chips at the seaside?  A family day out with happy people making the most of our lovely coastline.  Am I allowed to have a favourite?  Skegness, Mablethorpe, Sutton-on-Sea, Anderby Creek…. They are all fabulous seaside resorts but my personal favourite is Cleethorpes.  There is just something about it that has a draw for me and makes me want to be there.  Lovely walks along the sea front eating my fish and chips from @PapasFishNChips located on the pier, crossing the light railway and spending time around the boating lake with a coffee from the cafe in the  Discovery Centre

After the coronavirus part 1 - Papas Fish and Chips, Cleethorpes on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

Fish and chips from @PapasFishNChips located on the pier

 

After the coronavirus part 1 - The Discovery Centre, Cleethorpes on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

Boating lake & cafe at the Cleethorpes Discovery Centre. It’s always a ‘must visit’ place for me. Find them on Facebook and Twitter and give them a follow.

Grimsby & Cleethorpes – Two ‘Must Visit’ areas of Lincolnshire

Just a short drive away form Cleethorpes is Grimsby.  If you get the chance to visit there please make a point of going to the Grimsby Central Hall.  I have visited there several times and can highly recommend it.  I once saw a performance of ‘The Armed Man’ (A Mass For Peace) performed by the Grimsby Philharmonic and was extremely impressed by the performance and also by the acoustics of the Central Hall.

After the coronavirus part 1 - Grimsby Philharmonic on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

Grimsby Philharmonic led by Susan Hollingworth BEM – if you get the chance to hear them perform you’re certainly in for a treat. Click here to visit their website.

The Grimsby Central Hall is really worth a visit.  I was lucky enough to be given a tour once and was really surprised at what I saw.  I’m not going to give too much away as I think the Hall is worthy of a blog of its own.  However, in addition to being a fabulous building on the outside with a grand staircase on the inside and superb acoustics for performances, it also houses a Fishermans Chapel dedicated to local fishermen & Merchant Seamen who lost their lives at sea.

I’m not a historian or an architect but I really do love learning local history and taking in the architecture around me.  If you see me walking around somewhere new I’m usually the one looking up.  If you haven’t done it, I recommend you give it a try.  Look up above the boring flat glass shop windows and doors and marvel at the fantastic building above.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

After the coronavirus part 1 - Grimsby CentralHall on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, LincsBlogger

Grimsby Central Hall – It’s not the best picture but it does show the grandeur and size of the building. Click here to go to their Facebook page

Scunthorpe

I know Scunthorpe has a lot to offer but right at the top of my list of things to do and places to visit in the area is the Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society (Find them on twitter as @AFRailway).  I’m not an avid train enthusiast or train spotter but this has really captured my imagination.  I’m looking forward to the end of the Coronavirus restrictions so that I can pay a visit here.  If you haven’t heard of it before I suggest you take a look at their website www.afrps.co.uk.  You can email glenn@afrps.co.uk who I suspect will put you on a mailing list to let you know when their services begin again.  In short, the trip involves a rail tour around the steel works at Scunthorpe.  I have a feeling that it’ll be extremely interesting.

After the coronavirus part 1. Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society, Scunthorpe on WhatsOnLincs, what's on in Lincolnshire by LincsConnect the Lincolnshire blogger, Lin csBlogger

Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society

How Long Should A Wish List Be?

In a County as big as Lincolnshire I think this wish list could go on and on!  Perhaps it’s best if I pause for breath now though.  I still have walks in the Wolds, expeditions in the Fens and outings in Grantham (the canal springs to mind) and lunches in Stamford to fit in.  I think I’m going to have to do a series of blogs on the subject don’t you?

After The Coronavirus In Lincolnshire Part 1 – Any Recommendations For Part 2?

My list of things to do and places to visit after the Coronavirus restrictions are lifted is very long but not by no means complete.  I know there will be many things that I haven’t visited but really ought to so if you have any suggestions please let me know.

“Stay Home Save Lives”

Have a good week everyone and keep smiling.  We shall get through this pandemic if we work together.  Don’t forget that #LincsConnect is here for you 24/7

https://www.whatsonlincs.co.uk

Have We Become Numb?

Have We Become Numb?

by | Mar 17, 2020 | Charity, Coronavirus, COVID19, Lincolnshire, lincolnshire Business, Lincs Connect, Networking, Uncategorized

Ring Any Bells?

I often channel hop when listening to my car radio between clients and recently I happened upon a programme on the BBC World Service. The general gist of the programme revolved around the psychology of giving to charity.  Obviously all charities rely on us for donations and fund raising events but the programme got me thinking;  Have we become numb to the pleading of charities?  I know that many of you will give regularly to your chosen charity, some of you may volunteer while others might be supporting the charities by shopping in the charity shops or taking part in the many events that are held each year.

Who Or What Is To Blame?

Have we become numb to the fundraising calls of the local charities?  Are we becoming numb to their pleading without even realising it?  Perhaps you may recall the horrendous pictures on our TV screens of the ‘flies in their eyes’ images of starving children in African countries who were too weak to even blink.  This is going to sound dreadful I know but perhaps those images have lost their impact now.  Charity adverts have evolved and may now include images of children in school wishing they could get a better education to have a better chance of fending for themselves in future years.  The programme considered both images and the psychological impact of each.  Both images raise funds for the charities but neither image is more effective than the other.  Rather, some people are pre-disposed to giving to one image over the other with the net result being ‘both images work’.

These are just examples of course as there are a huge number of charities working in different ways to raise funds in order to help people and animals.  How would it work though if there was just one charity in the world?  Would that charity cease to exist as a result of its own success?  Perhaps, but that’s just hypothetical of course because the reality is that there are thousands upon thousands of charities around the world.  In fact, these charities make so much ‘noise’ that perhaps we are losing touch with what they are trying to do.  By ‘noise’ I mean TV advertising, radio advertising, newspaper advertising and of course the huge bombardment that we get on social media.  That’s a “huge bombardment” of ‘everything’ and not just from the charities.  Are we in danger of suffering from information overload and therefore switching off from the issues that really matter to us?

Lincolnshire Charities

We have lots of different charities in our region but we should all be thankful that they exist.  We have the Lincoln YMCA @YMCALincs who look out for and care for many vulnerable people.  They truly deserve our attention as they help to get people off the streets, into accommodation and give them a new start in life.  If you haven’t heard of Leonie’s battle yet you need to give her a follow on twitter @chillibean2018 and follow her journey as she undergoes surgery and intensive physiotherapy to help her walk after having ben born Quad Cerebral Palsy.  Such a brave little girl and a dedicated Mum who is constantly fund raising in order to pay for her life changing surgery.  At the other end of the age scale you’ll find @AgeUKLindsey who are an independent charity offering advice and support for the over 50s.  I wonder if we all realise how lucky we are to have such a huge number of heroes in our County who spend valuable time looking after others?

What’s next?

Surely a blog of this sort in March 2020 can’t go out without mentioning Coronavirus (COVID-19).  This dreadful virus has touched everyone here.  A global pandemic which is having a huge local impact.  On a personal note I have cancelled group exercise classes and in my role at LincsConnect I’m seeing first hand how worried people are becoming.  This pandemic isn’t just affecting health (although that is a huge worry) but the disruption it is causing is having a massive negative impact on businesses both large and small.  I’ve seen a huge increase in businesses and charities posting to the #LincsConnect hashtag in order to get their messages around the County.  Some are offering support, some are informing us of changes while others are asking for help.  What can be done?

You’re Not Alone

Those of you who know me on twitter as @MANDARINLEISURE will no doubt remember that I post a positive and (hopefully) uplifting post each morning along with an excerpt from a song.  I wake each morning (that’s always a good start)! with a tune in my head.  It happens every day and I have no control over which song it will be.  That’s my ‘ear worm’ so, being a friendly sort of chap, I have to share it.  Well why should I have to suffer alone?  It’s become a daily ritual now and I know that people from around the world are looking out for it and joining in with the fun.  Here’s an example for you.  Let’s see if you can guess the song:

 

Thinking of all the charitable work that’s going on around the county perhaps ‘now’ is the time to be thinking about how we can help each other.  @LincsConnect has nearly 11,000 ‘local’ followers.  If each one of them visited the hashtag #LincsConnect a couple of times a day to see who they could support we would all benefit hugely.  It’s all very well posting your message (on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter) using the hashtag #LincsConnect to tell people what you are doing, what you need or how you can help but it won’t do you any good at all if no one is bothering to look at the hashtag to see what or who they can support.  I’m sorry if that sounds abrupt but the truth is, we are in deep trouble and we need to pull together to get through this problem safely.

I’m No Expert But…

I’m not an economist.  I’m not a high flying business executive.  I’m not an ace charity worker.  I am just ‘me’ but I can see how we can start to help each other.  I’m not talking about getting bread and milk for those who are in isolation.  That has already been broadcast across social media (I’ll post my version of the form for you to print and utilise) and is certainly going to help many people.  What I’m talking about is using and looking at the #LincsConnect hashtag to see who is in need.  Trust me, when you help others you’re more likely to have that help reciprocated when you need it most.

STOP!

Perhaps if those companies who only post their own messages and never look to see how they can help others changed their habits during this period of uncertainty we could start to achieve more.  There is an old saying:  “What goes around, comes around”. NOW is the time to be supportive of others, to be charitable, to look to see what can be done for others because together we can be absolutely AWESOME!

Take a look at this video to see how you can help on Twitter: How To Search #LincsConnect  

For Those Of You Who Are Able

As promised, here is the form for you to print and utilise.  Please use it wisely.

What Next?

I’ve heard people asking “What will life be like after the virus”?  There will be no income and (according to some) no hope!  My answer to that is this:

Life after the virus will carry on.  There will be an income because we will carry on working.  I have hope and that hope is based on my belief in you.

Todays blog was a little different but I think it’s an important one.  What do you think?