For Christmas Use #LincsConnectChristmas

For Christmas Use #LincsConnectChristmas

For A Lincolnshire Christmas Use #LincsConnectChristmas

 

For a Lincolnshire Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas on your tweets to reach more local people. Search the hashtag to find lots of lovely gift ideas and bargains. If you’re wondering who is posting on the hashtag I suggest you have a look today. The hashtag isn’t just for Twitter though;  There are posts on Facebook and Instagram too so go to your search bar and type in #LincsConnectChristmas to see what comes up.

 

For Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas by LincsConnect, Lincs Connect Lincolnshire Blogger Lincs Blogger

For Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas – A Lincolnshire Christmas

 

I don’t want to say “I told you so” but…. ‘I told you so’ way back in September! Christmas is coming early this year as people fear uncertain times ahead.  Christmas shopping has started early for most people. If you’re a small business who isn’t prepared yet you’re in danger of missing out on your local market.

First posted in October 2020, this blog is still relevant today. Prices are rising, bills are escalating and interest rates are heading upwards.  Plan early to make sure you don’t get caught out. 

Many people have started (or already finished) Christmas shopping! Coupled with the growing numbers of unemployed and financially challenged, the ‘Big Boys’ will be putting on some huge discounts to increase High Street footfall and spending.  Don’t miss out. Start selling and marketing our Christmas products now.  Contact me to discuss a plan.

Hosting the #LincsConnect Hour on Twitter is 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 A Lincolnshire Christmas Use #LincsConnectChristmas“.

#LincsConnectChristmas is a seasonal hashtag which ‘trends’ globally each year so use it to reach out to your new customers. The #LincsConnect hashtag is here for you every single day of the year so I recommend using them both. To increase your chances of your messages being seen I recommend using both hashtags together.

 

Shop Online In Lincolnshire And Beyond

 

Shopping online is set to increase with the multi-nationals gearing up to steal the market.  ‘Now’ is the time for the local independent traders to get their offers onto their websites and online shops. You can’t expect everyone to find you and buy your products though!  Make sure you use your social media platforms to guide customers to your shop.

Once you’ve posted your goodies onto your online shop or local High Street shop you need to be working flat out to advertise. Continuous posting on social media will bring sales but not enough.  You need to interact with people to get them to want your product. Sell, sell, sell doesn’t work on social media so for best results get chatting.  Obviously your followers know what you do so you’ll need to reach out to new customers if you want to make your advertising work. Online shopping is very attractive in the current pandemic so ‘now’ is the time to get talking and making your social media sites look Christmassy.

 

Lincolnshire, Regional and National Deliveries

 

Many items can be posted in the normal way of course but if you have awkward sized gifts you might want to employ a courier. Including the cost of the courier in the sale price of the gift is an ideal way to plan finances.  Negotiate with local couriers early will be your best bet for good prices and guaranteed time slots.

LincsConnect Lincs Connect Lincolnshire blogger Lincs Blogger - Man With Van

Click on the picture to visit @manwhitevanhire on twitter

Travel may be a problem this year so grandparents may want to send a bike to grandchildren by courier. What about plants? Transporting plants by post can be difficult so a courier may be your best option. Negotiating rates early may be a good idea so perhaps now is the time to get it organised.

 

Charity Shops

 

Don’t forget our local charity shops when you’re shopping this year. As a result of de-cluttering during the lockdown, charity shops have had a bumper intake of stock. ‘Now’ is your chance to grab a bargain while helping out your local community. Many items will be brand new too so it’s always worth popping in.

Advert

LincsConnect Mandarin Leisure discount for emergency services, armed forces and veterans

Stresses can increase during this time of year and injuries never take a holiday so contact @MandarinTherapies for your treatments. Tel 07966 174878. Emergency services and Armed Forces enjoy 20% discount too. 

For Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas – Help Me, Help You

 

To help me help you please copy the link to this blog into your social media advertising.  If you’re talking about Christmas, Christmas gifts, Christmas offers and postage you can add a link to this blog to help explain that you’re trying to compete against ‘the big boys’. As a result you’ll be increasing readership of this blog.  With that achieved I’ll be able to reach out to more people to help advertise your business.  We really can help each other.

 

LincsConnect Lincs Connect Lincolnshire Blogger LincsBlogger

Additional Blogs

 

 

 

For Christmas use #LincsConnectChristmas – Local Shopping

During the recent #LincsArtCraftHour sessions we have seen quite a few artists and crafters joining in and showing their gift ideas.  As a result you’ll see a lot of local products all listed in the same place. Below is a list of some of them. I recommend you take a look to see what they have to offer. Christmas ‘is’ coming and I’m sure that you’ll agree that it’s good to support our local traders:

Twitter, Facebook & Etsy/Folksy          

Twitter:      @MelLangtonArt Facebook:                       Mel Langton Art

Twitter:      @origartprints Facebook:        fiduncart

Twitter:  @jpbphotography Facebook:                 Light And Dreams Photography

Twitter:    @EnglandCreate Etsy/Folksy:            Create-England

Twitter:         @ShaliniAustin   Facebook:      Shalini.Austin

 

Twitter:    @JaneHaighArt Facebook:                         Jane Haigh Country Art

Twitter:     @2021VisualArts Facebook:                            20-21 Visual Arts Centre

Stay Safe

Keep a mask on and your hands clean to protect yourself and everyone else around you.  Happy shopping and happy selling folks.

LincsConnect Lincs Connect

LincsConnect is your Lincolnshire Blogger - Copied but never bettered LincsBlogger

LincsConnect is your Lincolnshire Blogger – Copied but never bettered

 

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour

Join us each Monday on twitter from 12.00pm for the LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour images

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 logo

   Click the logo above to see how the #LincsConnect hashtag works

 

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.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Dave Spherical Kingfisher image

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.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Mel Langton Art

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).

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Ellies treasures needlework

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.

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Twibell Arts painting and craft work

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.

 

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Lincoln time shift picture

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

LincsConnect Lincolnshire Art Craft Hour Mandarin Therapies mobile massage

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

 

 

Food And Drink – Collect And Deliver In Lincolnshire

Food And Drink – Collect And Deliver In Lincolnshire

When The Sun Goes Down…

Are you a lunchtime or evening meal sort of person?  Whether you prefer to call it dinner or tea it makes no difference but I’m guessing the majority of people reading this will have their main meal in the evening.  Perhaps the ‘lockdown’ has helped to change your eating habits?  I do know that initially (way back in March) we were all suddenly thinking about food and toilet rolls.  However, the initial rush and panic seems to be over now and our shopping habits are starting to return to something close to normal.  Have you been missing your normal foods though?  Many of them have been in short supply and we have been discouraged from nipping out to our favourite restaurants to eat with friends.  However, some Lincolnshire companies have come up with some ingenious ways of surviving the lockdown so I thought I would share with you some of the establishments that I know of who are still trading and supplying take-away food and drink for us all to enjoy.

We don’t have to wait for the sun to go down to enjoy our dinner (or is it tea)? but it does pay to plan ahead.  If you’re looking for something for lunch, dinner or an evening feast let’s see if we can share some ideas.  I’ll list some of the Lincolnshire establishments that I know of but it certainly won’t be exhaustive so if you know someone that I’ve missed out please let me know in the comments below:

Alford 

Caythorpe Water Mill are providing takeaway pizzas and burgers so if you’re in the area why not pre-book yours today? Just click on the picture to place your order or telephone 01507 451366   

Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese provide delivery throughout the UK as well as pre-arranged sales direct from the farm. Click on the logo to go straight to their website www.lincolnshirepoachercheese.com or follow them on twitter @Poachercheese

Mail order Poacher Cheese delivered straight to your door. Click on the picture to go to the Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese Twitter page

 

Apley

Apley Lamb (Near Wragby) offers a free local delivery of freshly boxed lamb cut to order. Click on the logo to go straight to their facebook page or follow on Twitter @ApleyLamb

 

Post Covid-19 – Are We Ready?

Without doubt things have changed.  The way we have lived our lives, the way we have thought, the way we have communicated, the way we have shopped….. A huge proportion of what we’ve done over the last few months has changed compared to what we were doing in February.  I never would have thought that I would have managed without my car but since the Covid-19 outbreak my car has been on the drive and hasn’t moved other than to roll it forwards or backwards a few inches to prevent flat spots on the tyres.  There will be a time in the not too distant future when I’ll be using it again of course.  Being a mobile masseur and Personal Trainer I’ll need to be thinking of ways to see my clients again while keeping them (and myself) safe.  We do of course, have the threat of re-infection looming over us so now is the time to make adjustments to help prevent that from happening.

Social media has been a lifeline for many of us as it’s allowed us to maintain contact with friends and followers throughout the lockdown.  I’ve used it to collate lots of information and keep in touch with all sorts of people.  It’s reminded me just how resilient we are and how well we can adapt.  However, we are entering a new era at the moment where some of our old rules and precautions need to be revised.  Shops are starting to open again which really is positive news but I wonder how many shop owners and local businesses have really thought through the precautions required for safely re-opening or increasing the staff levels in the immediate aftermath of Covid-19?  Social (or should that be ‘physical’) distancing is at the top of our agenda at the moment of course.  Those of us who have used the supermarkets recently have become used to it very quickly and the small businesses (butchers, bakers, local food stores) have become adept at restricting the numbers of people allowed in the shop at once.

Recent conversations on social media with Alex of The Specialist Safety Group have made me realise that many of us may not be as ready as we thought we were for the ‘grand re-opening’ of our businesses.  Yes, we all know about distancing and restricted entry to our businesses but have we considered other Health & Safety at Work issues too?  We don’t want, or anticipate having a fire at work but we have to plan for it.  How would fire evacuation change with the new distancing precautions?  Perhaps we have a dedicated first responder at work should someone be taken ill.  Have rules change with the distancing precautions?  Perhaps insurance companies may require us to have new documentation/risk assessments post lockdown?  What about cleaning?  Will our ‘normal’ cleaning practices need to change?  I know my cleaning practices will have to change.  My massage couch and exercise equipment will need to be cleaned with different solutions from now on.

If you have any concerns about starting up again and returning to ‘business as normal’ you might like to chat to Alex at the Specialist Safety Group Ltd.  He has a dedicated ‘Return To Work Safely’ package that normally costs around £339.00 but by quoting this LincsConnect blog you’ll be able to receive a 10% discount.  I’m sure this offer won’t last forever though so contact Alex on 07870 760 145 to confirm your discount.  You can also email him at specialistsafetyoffice@gmail.com or click on the logo above to go straight to the website

 

Baumber

Stourton Estates is delivering Venison around the County and orders over £25.00 can enjoy FREE delivery within 20 miles of LN9 5PB

 

Boston

Mountain Abbey Parks Farm Shop selling fresh and cooked meats, chutneys, plumb bread….. You’ll need to click on the picture to follow the link to their Facebook page for a full list!

Follow @MountainsFarm1 on twitter for more info

 

Brigg

Fully online and sold locally around the County you can easily get your hands on some of these award winning botanical chocolates. simply click on the logo to go straight to Fionas’ website to learn more or click this link Sciolti Chocks to follow on Facebook

 

Caistor

Sandhams Wine Merchant in Caistor offer both in store (social distance rules apply) and mail order options with a huge range of wines and easy to navigate price list. Click on this link to go to their Facebook page or click on their logo to go straight to the website

 

Cleethorpes/Grimsby

 

Docks Beers is more than just ‘beer’ but you’ll need to visit their shop to discover their full range – and it’s all delivered too! If you fancy a gin, they’ve got that covered too. click on the logo to go straight to their website/shop.

For more information about Docks Beers click on the photo to go to their facebook page or follow them on twitter @DocksBeers

 

Message In A Bottle deliver a huge range of drinks across Cleethorpes & Grimsby. From local to international beers, gins, rums…. You need to check their website for a full list. You can find them on Facebook by clicking on their logo or or on Twitter @miabcleethorpes

This picture says it all so just click on it to go straight to the order page. Enjoy

 

Let’s Get Back to Doing What We Do Best

I don’t know about you but I’m really ‘chomping at the bit’ to get cracking again.  I love helping people and making them feel better whether that’s through exercise, massage, injury rehabilitation or injury prevention.  Many people will have been suffering with stress related problems since the lockdown and my diary is already starting to fill with new clients who are suffering with neck, shoulder, back and sleep issues as a result of the lockdown.  If you are in need of help please feel free to contact me at martin@mandarinleisure.com or pay a visit to my website www.mandarintherapies.com or www.mandarinfitness.com where you’ll get a better idea of what I have to offer.  I’m also on facebook of course Mandarin Therapies & Mandarin Fitness so feel free to follow me there too.

CLICK ON THE PICTURE TO PLAY THE FULL VIDEO

When I say I have a website; if you visit it you’ll quickly notice that it’s a very old site.  I do have a new one but I would much rather be doing my fitness and therapies than ‘wasting time’ on the website stuff!  Am I alone?  Does anyone else put off doing admin ‘stuff’ in favour of getting on with the real work?

As a sole trader I really value my time with clients and would much rather be doing what I do best than shuffling paper and files!  Needless to say, much of my admin work gets put off to the last minute before getting actioned.  I know I shouldn’t but…!

Perhaps I should consider the services of a Virtual Assistant (VA)?  I’ve been chatting to Nikki from www.Time4U-VA.co.uk who certainly seems to have the admin sorted!  My muddled, dyslexic brain is reflected on my muddled and (seemingly) disorganised desk.  Unlike Nikki who is adept at multi tasking with a clear desk.  Is there such a thing as desk envy?

Perhaps it’s time to re-think my working practices?  I know that I’m going to have to work very long hours (and probably 7 days a week) to catch up with the backlog of work over the months between now and Christmas.  I’m guessing that my experience will be mirrored across many industries and not least by the food & drink industries.  Let’s face it, Lincolnshire has some fine artisan food and drink producers as well as some fantastic restaurants and bars.  Preparing and serving or delivering these fantastic products is a passion for most but I wonder how many really have the time for updating menus and completing the admin?  Don’t get me started on book keeping! Thankfully I don’t have payroll issues being a sole trader but I can imagine they will be a necessary evil for many businesses. Perhaps ‘now’ is the time to consider how we are going to tackle the admin while staying on top of our game with our work.  Perhaps Nikki can help you?

Click on the logo to go straight to the website

 

Gainsborough

Fully Online – You can order your No 12 Chocolatier handmade chocolates online now and receive them in the post. That’s an offer you can hardly refuse! Follow @No12Chocolatier on Twitter and just click on the picture to go straight to the online shop.

 

Uncle Henrys Farm Shop is providing a home delivery service within a range of 10 miles but don’t let the Gainsborough address fool you as it’s situated on the A15 and the delivery range is quite extensive. Click on the picture to follow them on Facebook or follow them on twitter from here: @unclehenryslinc

 

Grantham

Brakes Food Hub in Grantham provides the full call & collection service for all of your food shopping from fresh to frozen to cake to…. you’ll need to click on the picture to go to their website to see more. Offering a call and collect service 7 days a week. Tel 0344 800 4900 (option 4) place your order. Follow @John_Nicky on twitter too for more updates.

 

Gelston Lamb deliver in the Grantham/Sleaford areas. Click on the picture to go to their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter for more updates @GelstonLamb

 

Teaspoon Tea Company have a free local delivery service and a full mail order selection including tea, coffee, gift packs, gift vouchers, birthday cards, chocolate by @No12Chocolatier honey by @ArtisanHoneyCo and quite a bit more. Click on the picture to go to their website. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised

 

Heighington

Anderson’s Family Butchers are providing a ‘text and collect’ system in Heighington. Simply text our order then collect when it’s ready. 07983003435 or 07880745083 – click on the picture to follow on Facebook

 

Ingham

The Inn On The Green, Ingham (on the outskirts of Lincoln) are providing a local takeaway service of food and drinks. Click on the photo to go straight to the order form and you can follow them on Facebook The Inn On The Green Ingham  

 

Lincoln

The Bowl Full Tapas restaurant will be providing pre-paid take away meals from 15 May. Click on the picture to go to their Facebook page or follow them on twitter @BowlFullTapas

 

Browns Pie Shop – Orders are cooked and delivered cold for re-heating at home. Orders can be delivered or collected. Click on this picture for more info or call 07809 477126 to pace an order

 

Cafe Portico are now providing take away pizza for your delight. Orders taken from your car (or on foot if you’re walking there), cooked to order and delivered fresh to you when it’s ready. All made possible with mobile contactless payments. Click on the logo to visit their Facebook page or go to their website for the latest menu www.cafeportico.co.uk You can also follow them on twitter @CaffePortico

 

Grow Your Own

Isn’t it fantastic that we have all of these lovely local Lincolnshire restaurants, cafes and takeaways who’re working hard to serve us during the lockdown and beyond.  They really have been up against it and are a testament to the resilience that has been so evident during the lockdown.  Being in Lincolnshire we’re lucky to have such wide open spaces with lots of farmers producing some superb crops for us and for the local restaurants.  Wouldn’t it be nice though if we could produce some of the fruit and vegetables for ourselves?  Not all of us are able to enjoy a large garden so perhaps a vegetable patch isn’t a high priority when we need to consider making our space into a multi purpose area for children to play and for us to relax.  However,  having chatted to Simon (you may remember him from previous blogs) I think he’s found the perfect solution.  If you have space for a straw bale in your garden or yard it appears that you have space for a vegetable patch!

Having looked around Simon’s website I’m at a loss as to what to include here.  Not only does he run StrawbaleVeg growing courses from your own home (corporate events too) but he sells own brand seeds at realistic prices.  I was very impressed to learn that while some others had increased prices significantly during the lockdown Simon kept his prices static.  Well done Sir, I’m very impressed.  It’s little things like this that catch my attention and impress me the most. I digress – who would have thought that you could grow your vegetables in a concrete yard or in such a small space?  Obviously Simon did and I think it’s a fantastic idea.  I was going to include pictures of the vegetable seeds that he supplies but there are far to many to list here.  If you click on the picture above you’ll be taken straight to the www.strawbaleveg.co.uk website where you’ll be able to make your won selection and have them delivered.

Click on this picture to purchase The Strawbale Gardeners Handbook Vol 1

Would you believe that Simon has also produced an eBook which can be downloaded by clicking on the picture above ‘and’ a DVD that can be purchased from the website www.strawbaleveg.co.uk – you have been busy Simon!

Curry Jacks provides a mobile service around the Lincoln area on a Pre-Order basis. Take a look at their Facebook page for regular updates by clicking on the logo or follow on Twitter @CurryJackscaf 

 

Damons, Doddington Road, Lincoln will be offering a drive through service from Thursday 21 May 20. Call ahead with your order (01522) 887722 or click on the menu to visit their website

 

Doddington Hall Farm Shop are still open for your shopping but please obey the social distancing rules. Follow them on Twitter @DoddingtonHall or click on the logo to find them on facebook.

 

FAB Craft Beer from Fiskerton are busy delivering boxed beer as well as bottled beers around the Lincoln area so why not click on the picture to follow them on Facebook or perhaps follow them on Twitter too @FABcraftbeer

 

The Garden Tea Room in North Hykeham is providing a Lincoln and surrounding area home delivery service for a modest £2.00 and they also have cakes, cheesecakes and lots more goodies to choose from. Click on this picture to follow them on Facebook and take a look at their menu below:

 

Burton Waters is the home to The Greek House who are now providing takeaway meals. Have a look at their menu and pre-order on 01522 542758. Click on the menu to follow them on Facebook

 

Imperial Teas of Lincoln are providing FREE DELIVERY on their mail order teas and coffees right now. That’s a great offer that can’t last forever so be sure to get your order in quickly. You can follow Imperial Teas Lincoln on facebook or on Twitter @Imperial_Teas Click on the logo to go straight to website to make your order – If you like your coffee strong I can personally recommend the Voodoo Comet.

 

Lincolnshire Brewing Company – delivering a selection of beers to suite every taste or collect directly from Langworth. Click on the picture to find them on facebook or follow them on Twitter @LincsBrewCo

 

MaCH Indian Restaurant (Wragby Road) are now offering a takeaway service. Click on the logo to find them on Facebook or go straight to their website to place your order www.machrestaurant.co.uk

 

Ole Ole Tapas Bar offer a delivery and (social distancing) collection service for their meals. Click on the logo to go to their Facebook page and click on the link here to go straight to their menu/order form www.oleolelincoln.co.uk or call them on  01522 534222

 

Lincoln & Gainsborough – Redhill Farm Shop offer a delivery and contactless collection service with safe in-store shopping too. Click on the picture to go straight to their website or follow them on Twitter @RedhillFarmPork

 

Sammys Chinese takeaway is set to open again on 20 May with social distancing rules in place (of course). Click on the picture to go to the ‘Lincoln food To Go’ Facebook group page. You can find Sammy’s Kitchen at Unit 11 Lambeth House, Woodhall Drive and you can call to make your order on 01522 567333

Cafe Shanti Vegan restaurant are now doing take away hot and frozen food (including breakfasts and curries) so why not order yours today? you can call them on 07735161481 or find them on twitter @Cafe_Shanti and Facebook by clicking on the picture

 

Veg Out Lincoln provides a delivery service in the Lincoln area including a vegan inspired recipe box and plant powered food plan. Gemma will have her new online booking site and new website ready very soon but in the mean time you can contact her through twitter @vegoutincoln or click on the picture for a link to her book

 

Louth

Beaumon’t Deli on Bridge Street in Louth are open to take your orders. You can follow them on Facebook Beaumont’s Deli or call 01507 355927

 

Market Deeping

Takeaway Weekends. Call 01778346952 to order or click on this picture to go to the website

 

 

Market Rasen

Cote Hill Cheese delivers cheese and milk locally. Click on the picture to go to their Facebook page

 

Minting

Minting (near Wragby) Farm Shop has a collection service with your safety in mind. Give them a call today to place your order. Click on the logo to go straight to their website

 

Skegness 

Lymn Bank Farm handmade cheese. FREE delivery on orders over £20.00. You can follow them on Twitter @lymnbankfarm or click on this logo to go straight to their Facebook page

FREE DELIVERY. Go too www.postacheese.com for details and your order form or click on this picture to take you straight there.

 

Sleaford

A Little Luxury Distillery is still taking orders for Gin & Rum which will be delivered direct to your home. Click on the picture to go to the shop or follow on Facebook A Little Luxury and Twitter @ALittleLuxuryLt

 

Spalding

A real pub providing real beer. Buy a bottle and bring it back to get a refill – what an excellent idea. Click on the picture to find them on Facebook for an up-to-date- list of times and ales

 

Spilsby

Takeaway Afternoon Tea from @TheElm_Tree just outside Spilsby. Click on the picture to find them on Facebook and don’t forget, you can buy gift vouchers too!

 

Woodhall Spa

Woodhall Spa Bakery & Delicatessen provides fresh bread, cakes meats and much more. A gem in the Woodhall Spa crown offering Safe Distancing shopping. Click the picture to go to their Facebook page

 

The India Village restaurant and takeaway are providing takeaway meals during the lockdown. If you would like to order your meal click on the logo to go to the website or follow them on Facebook India Village. Alternatively you can give them a call on 01526 354657 or 01526 352223

 

The Tea House In The Woods is providing a range of foods from Afternoon Tea to Roast Meals and they’re all Take Away too with strict social distancing rules. click on the picture to go to their website or give them a ring on 01526 354455. You can also find them on Facebook at Tea House In The Woods

 

All this talk of food has made me quite hungry!  This list is going to be added to but I’m going to get myself something to eat now.  Bon appetite everyone and please don’t forget to let me know if there are any takeaway/safe shopping food outlets that need to be on here as I can add them later.

 

Stay Safe

 

Mandarin Therapies provides a bespoke mobile complementary therapies service from the comfort of your own home. Gift vouchers are available now then book your massage for later in the year. Mandarin Therapies “Feel the difference”