by Martin Thomas | Nov 24, 2024 | Burton Road, Christmas, Covid 19, Covid-19, Doddington Hall, Domestic Abuse, Domestic Vio;ence, Immingham, Lincoln, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire Blogger, Lincolnshire Heritage, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Lincs Connect, LincsBlogger, LincsConnect, LincsConnectChristmas, Museum, Restaurant, Rutland, ShopLincs, Stress, WhatsOnLincs
Lincoln Christmas Market
If anything is going to epitomise the Lincoln Christmas Market it has to be Lincoln Cathedral and Lincoln Castle. Castle Square was the original home of the market and over the years the market expanded to the Lincoln Cathedral, The Lawn and surrounding areas.
The Lincoln Christmas Market saw a huge expansion over the years that it operated. In my opinion, the expansion wasn’t particularly well managed with many stalls duplicated and triplicated. The expansion saw a significant rise in visitor numbers. This resulted in the Lincoln council ‘pulling the plug’ on health and safety grounds. In my opinion this was a big mistake as it dealt a huge blow to the local economy and the kudos of Lincoln City internationally.
The market was a huge asset to the city and the wider county. Local employment, small business income and tourism have all been affected by its closure. Its Christmas atmosphere, local financial income and kudos are missed in equal measures. However, with your comments added to this blog and lots of shares around your friends we may be able to encourage a rethink. It would be fantastic to see the market return to Lincoln.
Vienna
As a result of the closure of the market we (my wife and I) decided to seek an alternative to get us into the Christmas mood. That meant taking our custom elsewhere. ‘Another trail’ around the city looking at ice sculptures, knights, imps or monsters didn’t appeal. The first trail was fun but having the same idea rolled out several times a year didn’t inspire us. As a result, our research took us to Vienna.
Vienna has much to offer. Its history, fantastic architecture and many Christmas markets caught our attention. Following some research we planned a short break (4 nights) centred around visiting as many Christmas markets as possible. We managed 7 of the 9 Christmas markets and enjoyed them all.
Lincoln Christmas Market Inspired By Vienna
The Viennese Christmas markets took us to several different areas of the city. All but one was in walking distance (30-40 minutes) from our hotel. It struck me that Lincoln could certainly learn something from the Austrian idea. One of the markets was a local art market where artists and crafters had stalls to sell their gifts. Mixed in with the craft stalls were quality food vendors selling local hot foods and drinks.
The most important point to remember is ‘no duplication’ of stalls. There may have been several stalls selling Christmas tree decorations but they each had their own hand made unique products.
The atmosphere was relaxed and unhurried with enough stalls to keep shoppers interested for several hours. With food stalls and gluvine available visitors were able to spend several hours at the market to enjoy the atmosphere. Local cafes and restaurants also benefited from the increased tourist trade too of course.
Could Lincoln have a series of markets inspired by Vienna?
Market Locations
Just to be clear, the markets in Vienna were all on every day from lunch time until 9.00pm. That’s all 9 markets trading every day from mid November until Christmas! Each market has its own location with a theme. There was some duplication of stalls over the 9 markets but generally each one was unique.
Perhaps some good locations for Lincoln markets would be around the outside of Lincoln Cathedral to encourage shopping around The Bailgate as well as the market stalls. Another at The Lawn to encourage shopping on Burton Road. The Strait, Brayford, the arboretum and South Park would be a fantastic locations to encourage more local shopping. In addition there is Hartsholme Country Park, Whisby Nature Reserve, Doddington Hall, Newark Air Museum and Boultham Park. Perhaps a ‘music themed’ market at The Cornhill? The possibilities are many and varied.
Just A Thought
I wonder how feasible it would be to take inspiration from the Austrian idea? Personally I think it would be a great tourist attraction which would have the advantage of spreading tourists out around the city. Obviously local traders would benefit in their shops just as much as the market stall holders. The knock on effect for restaurants, cafes and hoteliers would be a welcome bonus too. Perhaps ‘flat rate’ taxi fares from market to market would also help another industry.
I would love to know your thoughts. If you have any ideas perhaps you could leave a comment below.
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Merry Christmas
Whatever you do from now until Christmas, I hope you have a very jolly time.
by Martin Thomas | Sep 23, 2022 | Advertise, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Social, WhatsOnLincs
Free Advertising In Lincolnshire With LincsConnect
Free Advertising in Lincolnshire – #LincsConnect – Make it your ‘go to’ hashtag
This is probably the shortest and most important blog you have ever read!
We all like something that’s ‘free’ but we probably also know that nothing is truly free! Twitter – that’s free! Facebook and Instagram are also free too so where’s the catch? Simple! If you want ‘free’ advertising/exposure on social media you’re going to have to invest your time. By investing your time your posts are more likely to be seen and acted upon. Would you like to know how to do it?
Ditch The ‘Like’ Button
Free Advertising in Lincolnshire – Ditch the Like button
Free Advertising In Lincolnshire with LincsConnect – Ditch The Like Button
If you’re using X (Twitter) I highly recommend that you ditch the ‘Like’ button. Rules vary from Twitter to Facebook/Instagram but it is now official that the ‘Like’ button on X is pretty much redundant.
Twitter is an interactive platform so your best results will come from interacting with your followers. That’s one of the main differences between Twitter and other platforms. What does the ‘Like’ button say about you on Twitter?
- I don’t have time for you so I’ll just press the like button instead of saying ‘thank you’ or interacting.
- I’m not that interested in you so I’ll just press the Like button and hope that you read my posts.
- I don’t understand algorithms and how they work so I’ll press the Like button and hope for the best.
- I can’t be bothered to talk to my followers.
- I don’t want to share your post with others.
When scrolling down your twitter timeline you will see tweets from people you follow, sponsored (paid advertising) tweets and tweets that have been retweet by your followers. You’ll never see a ‘Liked’ tweet!
The ‘Like’ button does have its uses though. It’s a good way of saving tweets for future reference. Beyond that, I’m struggling to think of a good reason to use it on Twitter!
Free Advertising And Social Media Interaction With LincsConnect
I’ve said it many times before; the clue is in the name. ‘Social’ media should be exactly what it says in the title. Actually ‘talk’ to your followers.
There’s a TV advert for a room freshener implying that the character has gone ‘nose blind’. In social media terms, if you post, post, post with no interaction your followers will see your posts but they won’t register in their mind. However, if you ‘talk’ to your followers they’ll remember you as that nice person/business who takes an interest. Obviously talking to your followers doesn’t mean telling them how good you are and what you have to sell them. Instead, you need to show an interest in other people to let them know you care about them. Given time they will ask you what you do and what you have to offer. As a result, you don’t need to do the ‘hard sell’.
#WhatsOnLincs – New To The LincsConnect Website
“…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…”
Take a look at the blog link below to read the full #WhatsOnLincs blog. Don’t forget to recommend it to your friends and out of town visitors too so that they can discover what’s on in Lincolnshire.
Helpful?
It’s probably my shortest blog ever read but I hope you find it useful.
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Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Don’t Rely On Algorithms
See the #WhatsOnLincs blog in full
More Blogs By LincsConnect
That’s It For Now
I hope you found this Free Advertising blog useful.
by Martin Thomas | Jul 14, 2022 | Lincs Connect, ShopLincs
Budget Lincolnshire – A blog by LincsConnect in an attempt to save you money…
Budget Lincolnshire
The Budget Lincolnshire blog is here to help you Navigate holidays or any other trips. Let’s face it, they can be a financial challenge! With that in mind, the Budget Lincolnshire blog is here to offer some help.
The blog will never be complete of course so please feel free to recommend more tips and hacks. If you would like to recommend new entries please email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
There are lots of national offers on at the moment and some of them are permanent all-year offers. Take a look at the supermarkets to see what deals they have. Many of them are offering free children’s meals during holiday times so they are a good option if you’re planning a day out on a budget.
Tesco have their ClubCard deals which allow you to collect points when you shop with them. They may not always have the cheapest prices in store or online though so be prepared to shop around. However, the ClubCard points can be accumulated and easily converted to vouchers. The vouchers can be redeemed for days out, membership (including English Heritage) at some chain restaurants including Pizza Express, Cafe Rouge and Ask amongst others. Be warned though, not all of the restaurants accept the vouchers so check before ordering your meal.
The club card offer is subject to changes of course so check before downloading. I believer that for every £pound that you have in your club card account, the downloaded voucher will be worth double.
The Club Card may change design from time to time and is also available on an App as well as a physical card.
Keeping It Local With Budget Lincolnshire
While there are many national deals and offers to be found on the internet the aim of this blog is to highlight the availability of ‘local’ offers. Hence the title ‘Budget Lincolnshire’. I have no doubt that I’ll miss some but with your help we can make this blog better by including more. You can help by emailing your suggestions. I guarantee that I’ll do my best to read them all and include as many as possible.
More Budget Lincolnshire
There are many different sites to explore on the internet to grab yourself a bargain. You could try Money Saving Central and Groupon who may have some local deals and vouchers for you.
The American Express Platinum Everyday Cash Back Card gives you cash back on every purchase with no membership/admin fee. In addition to the cash back offer it also gives daily discount offers. Several times a year it gives special ‘local’ deals to encourage you to spend locally. Typically the offer will be something like ‘Spend £10.00 at shop XYZ and receive £5.00 cash back. Other credit cards and bank accounts/debit cards will do similar so shop around for the best deal for you.
The Defence Discount Card is available for Armed Forces veterans. There is a small initial charge for the card but the local and national discounts available for card holders are significant.
These are just some of the deals and ideas I know about. If you have more to share please let me know by email martin@lincsConnect.co.uk
Major stores/pubs/supermarkets: Asda Cafe, Future Inns, Table Table, Yo Sushi, The Real Greek, Sizzling Pubs, Beefeater/Brewers Fayre, Dunelm Pausa Cafe all have special meal deals for children during holiday periods. In addition you’ll find childrens’ meal deals during the holidays at Whitbread Inns, Morrisons, Hungry Horse, Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge and Angus Steakhouse. Some offer free meals for children while others offer substantial discounts. However, they all expect the adult to pay full price in order to get the deal. It’s always worth shopping around to get yourself the best deal.
WARNING – If you can’t afford to PAY THE CREDIT CARD BILL IN FULL every month DON’T apply for an account. Interest rates (even 0%) on credit cards can soon spiral out of control. A 0% interest rate doesn’t last forever so make sure your bill is settled before the 0% offer expires.
#TopTip For Budget Lincolnshire
Putting fuel into the family car is getting ever more expensive. I’ve found a handy App which may be worth considering if you have a smart device. The PetrolPrices App does exactly what its title suggests. It doesn’t give you discounts but it does show you what the fuel prices are in your area. You can set the distance from your location and tell it to search for either petrol or diesel. It’ll help you to make an informed decision when setting out to buy fuel. You’ll find it in your preferred App Store:
A handy App to help you find the best petrol/diesel prices wherever you are in the country.
Once you’ve filled your car with fuel and decided where to go for your day out I recommend being prepared for a short walk. If walking is an option for you I suggest researching the area (Maps or Google Maps are handy Apps) to find the best places to park. Roadside parking is FREE but look for the signs to make sure you aren’t in a Residents Only area or restricted parking zone. Street parking isn’t always an option, especially in busy towns and cities so local council websites may help you find the cheapest car parks.
Walk, Cycle & Picnic Areas
Budget Lincolnshire is all about finding and sharing the best deals locally. Walking and cycling are free of course and a picnic can be part of your normal weekly budget. However, if you have driven to the start of your outing it’s worth checking for parking charges or making use of street parking if it’s available.
Clicking on this picture will take you to a list of Lincolnshire Nature Reserves
The list is by no means exhaustive but it’ll give you a good starting point for your research. Not all reserves are wheelchair friendly and some don’t allow dogs so do check before travelling. Additional reserves and parks that I can recommend are Whisby Nature Park (Lincoln) which is wheelchair and mobility scooter friendly and Hartsholme & Swanholme Lakes (Lincoln) which is partially wheelchair friendly. There are many parks and gardens across the County but always check in advance for charges. Some may offer discounts for families but they are likely to be standard charges and dependant on national memberships (RHS or National Trust).
If you’re looking for something less rural you’ll find The Arboretum in Lincoln which is close to the Usher Gallery and The Collection museum. Further afield in Grantham is Wyndham Park. The website is out of date at the time of posting this blog but it gives a good idea what’s on offer. Riverside Park, Newark is free and worth a visit. As always, it’s best to do your research before travelling so do make good use of the Tourist Information Centres.
Enjoying the great outdoors is predominantly ‘free’. We have a range or parks, paths, beaches and cycle tracks to enjoy. For a list of FREE things to do in Lincolnshire follow this link to the Visit Lincoln website. The Newark website does take you further into Nottinghamshire but some attractions are still local. Waters’ Edge Country Park and Visitor Centre is in Barton-on-Humber and offers free walks in the countryside. For information about this and more in North Lincolnshire follow this link to Visit North Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire has a long coastline which have earned several Blue Flags for their beaches. The coast is varied with lots of nature trails as well as busy seaside towns. You’ll be able to enjoy a variety of entertainment (both free and paid). Click on the link to discover what North East Lincolnshire has to offer. You’ll discover everything from nature watching on the Saltmarsh to the fabulous seaside resort of Cleethorpes. You’ll also be able to discover the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre as well as Grimsby Minster and Weelsby Woods to name just a few.
The Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre has two prices for entry. The normal prices are £11.50 (adult, £8.00 (student and age 60+), £5.00 (child). However, a family ticket (2 adults and up to 5 children) is £25.00. That’s a saving of £23.00. There are also annual memberships available which gives you unlimited access for just a few pounds more. An adult annual ticket will cost just £5.00 extra. There are also vacancies for supporters so do contact the museum if you would like to volunteer.
Towards the South West of the Lincolnshire border is Rutland. I’ve spend many hours cycling and walking around Rutland Water and can highly recommend it for a day out. Cycling, walking, nature spotting, fishing, open water swimming and golf (the latter two are chargeable) as well as picnicking are all available.
Whichever walk, park, nature reserve or beach you decide to visit you’ll find that most are predominantly ‘FREE’. The only things you usually need to pay for are transport costs, parking, eating and drinking (if you don’t take a picnic).
Public Transport
Rail and bus travel can be limited across a large rural county such as Lincolnshire but you can still find services connecting major towns and villages. Finding a train to take you where you want to go can be challenging. With that in mind I’ve Listed some stations that could be worth checking to plot your journey. The list includes Rutland, central Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire:
The list of railway stations in the LincsConnect area. Trains to London are from Newark, Lincoln, Grantham and Cleethorpes. Newark Lincoln and Grantham are direct. Trains from Cleethorpes are via Doncaster.
Railcards
The cost of a typical railcard is £30.00 for a year (cheaper if you buy a 3 years card) so make sure you are going to use it and save money before purchasing. The railcard will save you 1/3 of the price of normal travel. Most rail operators release tickets around 12 weeks before a journey date and the earlier you buy your ticket the cheaper it will (usually) be. Some sites charge a booking fee for advance tickets so to avoid the booking fee you might like to try booking direct with National Rail. Use the same site to find other railcard and discounts that may be available to you.
Bus
Bus travel is generally cheaper than car or rail but we all know that the routes are not always convenient. Make sure you plan your journey carefully and also check to see if you are eligible for discounted travel. Check out the £2.00 fare cap too as it may surprise you. Have a look at the Lincs Bus website as they have quite an informative site:
Visit the LincsBus website for route planning and follow @LincsBus on twitter for regular daily updates
Budget Lincolnshire – Child Friendly Events
Fantasy Island, Skegness discount voucher codes and deals. Click the link to discover more
Skegness Pier discount site. Click the link to discover more
Budget Lincolnshire – Meal Deals
BBC Food Family meals for under £1.00
Lucky Strike arcade and bowling alley, Skegness – 20% off food
Queens Head, Kirkby-La-Thorpe, Sleaford ‘Kids eat free’. Children under 12 can have a meal from the Kids menu with every main meal purchased
Museums
Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre offers discounts for concessions (students and age 60 and over). In addition, family tickets and annual memberships both significant discounts.
Arts
Theatre & Cinema
Wellbeing
Mandarin Therapies (including Mandarin Mothers) provides a mobile complementary therapies service throughout the County with 20% discount for Defence Discount Card holders. Emergency Services and NHS staff enjoy the same discount. A discount for members (annual membership is required) booking regular sessions is also available.
Additional Blogs By LincsConnect:
Click/tap the picture to go to the #WhatsOnLincs blog
by Martin Thomas | Jul 6, 2021 | Gala Events, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, WhatsOnLincs
Gala Events Pyro Picnic at the Lincolnshire Showground on 23 & 24 July. Click on the picture to book your tickets
Gala Events Pyro Picnic By LincsConnect, The Lincolnshire Blogger
The Gala Events Pyro Picnic by LincsConnect blog has been written as part of the Lincs Connect #WhatsOnLincs series of blogs. If you would like a blog writing for your local event please do get in touch. contact details are at the end of this blog.
It’s Been A Long Time Coming
Gala Events Pyro Picnic by LincsConnect for WhatsOnLincs: With the end of the pandemic lockdown very much in sight, now is the time to celebrate. What better way than with a ‘pyro picnic’ by Gala Events? The whole event will be at the Lincolnshire Showground and includes food stalls, drinks, music, fairground and more. Just in case you aren’t quite sure about ending the Covid19 restrictions, you’ll be pleased to know that the whole event will include a drive-in or walk in experience. The news just seems to get better and better. Gala Events are putting on one of their championship winning fireworks displays for our delight.
Daylight Fireworks
Gala Fireworks are the proud winners of the British Fireworks Championships 2016. Previous winners at Belvoir Castle Gala Fireworks have been more than used to taking the centre stage on the winners podium. Victory after victory after victory – it’s a constant case of ‘updating’ and ‘pushing the boundaries’ of pyrotechnic displays to get to the top and stay there. Having spoken to the Director Andy I can sense his enthusiasm for what he and Co Director Aaron do. Together, along with the rest of their team I have absolutely no doubt at all that we’re in for a real treat on 23rd and 24th July.
With a pedigree like this I just know that we are all in for a big treat. Click on the picture to go to the Gala Fireworks website or why not email your enquiry to info@galafireworks.co.uk
Believe it or not, the first display will be visible in the daylight thanks to the paint powder technology. It’s all brought to you with smoke effects, vivid colours and sound. That’ll be followed by the evening display which will surely be an unforgettable experience. Make sure you have your phone or camera charged up because you’re going to want to capture these special memories.
Light Fuse, Stand Well Back…
When you’re a championship winning Firework Display Team you don’t tend to rely on a box of matches… Click on the picture to see the rest of this video from 2015 on YouTube. For telephone enquires call (01522) 214966 – no event is too big or too small.
Now is the time to celebrate with a ‘pyro picnic’ but don’t expect anyone to be lighting the fireworks with a match! If you haven’t already, I suggest you click on the picture above to see how it’s done.
It’s a huge operation that takes skill and a lot of double checking. A large dose of passion to please the audience is right up there with their list of priorities too. Based in Lincoln and Boston these guys are local and proud of it. They are pushing the boundaries both with the artistic content of their displays and the quality of training of their staff but the company doesn’t define itself with their firework expertise alone.
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Gala Events – Fireworks And More
You can be forgiven for thinking that Gala Events are centred around firework displays but read on to find out more:
Gala Events can organise everything from your event management to providing the bar, flowers, photography/videography, the marquees and even the portaloos. The firework displays need not always be on a huge scale either as they cater for weddings and parties. If you have a group of 20 or 20,000 Gala probably have the event solution for you.
These credentials speak for themselves:
“We won the British championships in 2016 in Plymouth.
We have won the following firework Champions events….. Belvior Castle in 2013, Eastnor Castle in 2014 and Stanford Hall in 2016.
2nd place at Belvior Castle in 2017.
And 2nd place at the British pyromusical championships in Southport in 2014.
As Gala Events, We also won the Central England prestige award in 2020 for Event Entertainment Specialist of the Year.”
Pretty impressive don’t you think?
Gala Events Pyro Picnic – Meet The Directors
Meet Andy and Aaron, the two directors of Gala Events.
Gala events are a Lincolnshire company but don’t underestimate their national presence. These two gents have been very busy all over the country with events to suite all occasions.I could ramble on and on but perhaps it’s best to let Andy and Aaron give you a glimpse of what they can offer. Follow the link below to their Facebook page and scroll through for a bigger sample of what they provide:
Andy is the Operations Manager. Everything you don’t see, do experience and certainly do enjoy is down to him. Our safety is down to everyone but Andy oversees the operation of the projects. Here’s a little resume from the website:
“Andy has been around the professional firework display arena since 2002. He has fired many hundreds of displays and project managed some of Gala’s big successes, not least the 2016 British Championship win. Within the Gala family, he takes responsibility for many of the things that go on behind the scenes including the legal and financial elements of the business. He is constantly looking for new effects, and innovative ways to improve the final delivery ensuring Gala stay on top of their game.”
Aaron is the display and design manager so the heavy burden of what we see is down to him! That’s a pretty hefty responsibility don’t you think? Here’s what their website has to say:
“The magic you see from a Gala Display is all Aaron’s work. Aaron has a vast knowledge of effects, unrivalled enthusiasm, and a broad musical range. These all contribute towards his ability to design displays to any genre or for any occasion. Aaron has been producing breath-taking displays for many years. Always looking for that new effect or combination of design sequences that put Gala one step ahead. He also controls social media activities to keep the public up to date… If you want to talk fireworks – Aaron is your man!”
Having chatted to Andy it’s refreshing to hear that Gala Events are passionate about supporting local businesses. That’s a theme that I’ve been running on Lincs Connect since its start. In fact, you could say that supporting everything Lincolnshire is a passion of mine so it’s nice to hear this team share my enthusiasm.
Click on the picture to go straight to the box office. Grab your tickets early before it’s too late!
Gala Events Pyro Picnic – Running Order
The running order is subject to small changes depending on the light on the night but here is a fairly accurate itinerary for the Pyro Picnic evening:
17.00Hrs Gates Open
The air will be filled with family friendly music played by the resident Gala Events DJ. He’ll be taking requests on the night via social media so make sure you’re following in advance.
19.30Hrs Mororbike Stunt team
Aaron Stannage has been performing motorbike stunts with the team from the age of 3 and is now running the Stannage Stunt Team. A quick check of the website gives you an insight into what we will be treated to. You might want to have a look for yourself: www.stannagestuntteam.co.uk
21.00Hrs Daylight Fireworks Show
You’ll need to see it to believe it but this aerial show is certainly going to be fabulous.
22.00Hrs Grand Finale
The evening will have been fabulous I’m sure but this is probably ‘the’ event you’ve been waiting for. What display could be better than a championship level display? Be prepared to be wowed by the perfectly timed fireworks display with music. Make sure your camera is fully charged!
Gala Events Pyro Picnic – Relax
The gates open at 5.00pm but don’t stress if you’re still travelling home from work as the show doesn’t start until around 7.30pm. However, the earlier you arrive, the more chance you’ll have to enjoy everything else that has been organised for you. You won’t be able to miss the fun fair of course so if you want to enjoy the rides make sure you make your way over there early. Alas, I get travel sickness on the Children’s ‘Tea Cup’ ride so I’ll have to be content with watching the fun. I know my son and friends will be enjoying themselves here though. I just hope they discover the fun-fair before finding the bar!
Ferry Ales Brewery will be taking care of your drinking needs throughout the evening and I can personally recommend them. Gala Events have thought of everything of course so if your priority list doesn’t include the funfair or the bar there is still a shopping village to keep your attention. You’ll find lots of local traders there from wax melts and other gift stalls to holiday Travel Counsellors and sweets. If that doesn’t appeal perhaps you might like to talk to Soper BMW about your next car.
Whether you take your own picnic or buy food from one of the many local stalls you’re bound to have a good time. If you like what you see so far, don’t forget that there is more to enjoy than is printed in this short blog!
Contact Gala Events
The team are contactable through their websites Gala Events Ltd (currently under re-construction) and Gala Fireworks If you’re on social media follow them on Twitter @Gala_Events_Ltd and Facebook Gala Events. The social media platforms will be live during the events for you to make requests with the resident DJ so follow early and to keep up to date with this and other events. As always, there is always the telephone back up so why not give them a call on (01522) 214966
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Click on the picture to visit the online Gala Fireworks Shop
The Gala Fireworks shop is located at Mad Mac’s, 2 Maud Street, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6TP. A supply of top quality fireworks is always in stock to cater for your celebrations from small wedding gatherings to birthday parties, work events and much more. Pop in to see what is available today. Stock can be seasonal so, for your convenience, why not visit online? You can check prices and availability as well as place your order from the comfort of your own home. Click on the picture above or this link Gala Fireworks Shop to go straight to the online shop.
Post Event…
The Pyro Picnic has happened and was a great success. I thought it would be nice to share a few insights with you along with a few more pictures and a video. Enjoy…
Gala Events Pyro Picnic – Setting Up
Just another day in the office! The fireworks are all set up and the display is ready to go – just a few final adjustments to be made by Aaron on his laptop. When you’re out in the field, the field becomes your office and the desk is covered in grass!
Final adjustments…
When only the best is good enough it’s best to check and check again. Those final adjustments make all the difference…
Final checks and adjustments
The sound guys helping keep us all entertained
The party wouldn’t be right without some local food and drinks of course so here are a few snapshots of some local traders:
Food and drink to keep the picnic going
Jaguars on parade…
Live Entertainment
Using bikes, quads and a fair amount of petrol the stunt team certainly kept the crowds entertained during the day
Single and two bike jumps plus the human torch to entertain the crowds during the day
Gala Events Pyro Picnic – Daytime Fireworks
We all know how spectacular the fireworks are at night but these daytime fireworks add a different dimension. A perfect choice for wedding and family celebrations during the daytime. The video doesn’t really do them justice but here goes anyway…
It’s all done with special paints and sound to complete the daytime effect. The end result is both a ground level and airborne display.
Meanwhile, close to ground level, the colours are pretty spectacular
Gala Events Pyro Picnic – The Sky Darkens
As the sun disappears and the darkness depends it’s time for a quick video to show off the event from the vantage point of the back of my truck:
The Pyro Picnic as dusk falls
Gala Events Pyro Picnic – As Night Falls
While others took their seats for the main event I took to the tailgate of my truck to gain good vantage point. The reflections on the cars show just how bright the fireworks were.
A stunning display and a silhouette
The Official Display Video
Enjoy…
Until Next Time…
That’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed this special blog. I’ll be grateful for any comments and feedback so feel free to email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk
Advertising comes with a FREE link to the blog for as long as you want it so you can use it again and again to help promote your business or charity. If you would like a blog about your upcoming event or business please get in touch. You can email me at martin@lincsconnect.co.uk or call me on 07966 174878
Look after yourself and each other but above all, ‘have fun’
“Putting the social back into social media” #LincsConnect is always here for you.
by Martin Thomas | Sep 15, 2020 | Afternoon Tea, Aromatherapy, Art, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, Lincs Connect, LincsConnect, Mandarin Therapies, Shop, Shopping
Click on the picture to go to the Twitter hashtag. You’ll see lots of local goodies there so give it a try for ‘Shoping made easy in Lincolnshire’
The Funny Thing Is…
Shopping in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect – use Hashtags! Do you find them confusing? Do you use them but don’t know why? The funny thing is that many people don’t really know how to use them so let me try to quickly explain:
A hashtag is just a label or name given to a section in a very large database. That’s it! It’s just a database. Every time you write a post and use a hashtag your post will go to the appropriate folder in the database. If you use two hashtags your message will go to two folders in the database. Use #LincsConnect and #ShopLincs for your shopping and online shopping in Lincolnshire.
Use The Search Bar
To search for your messages just go to the search bar in your chosen social media platform and type in the name of the hashtag. If you do you’ll find your post as well as every other post with the same hashtag. However, be aware that the hashtag is specific to the social media platform you’re using so if you type a message on Twitter you won’t be able to find your post if you search for it on Facebook.
The hashtags go to a huge database which is used globally so if you use the hashtag ‘#Lincolnshire’ you’ll see what’s been posted for our County. If you search the hashtag ‘#LincsConnect’ you’ll find all of the messages that have been using the hashtag in Lincolnshire. However, if you search the hashtag ‘ShopLocal’ and see how many countries are using that hashtag you’ll realise that it is anything but ‘local’.
Be Specific
Choose your hashtags wisely. If you’re trying to get the attention of your local community the #ShopLocal hashtag is no good to you but the #LincsConnect hashtag is very specific to Lincolnshire and our close neighbours. For shopping in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect don’t forget to add the hashtags #LincsConnect and #ShopLincs
At this point you may be wondering what the hashtag has to do with Shopping Made Easy In Lincolnshire? The answer to that is quite simple of course. Using Twitter just type in #LincsArtCraftHour to your search bar to see what local art, craft, sculpture and photographic posts have been included over the last few years. You’ll find everything from needlework to paintings, cards and photography and the list is growing steadily. Not only will you find pictures but you’ll also discover links to local Etsy & Folksy shops and Facebook pages too so you really can shop on line while keeping your money in the local economy. It’s a win, win situation don’t you think? To make life even easier for you I’ve included links to the most recent artists & crafters below.
Not on Twitter? Not everyone is of course so if you’re a Facebook user don’t despair because you can still access some of the messages from the local artists by typing in #LincsArtCraftHour to your search bar.
Facebook #Hashtags
If you’re a Facebook user please don’t despair because you can type in the hashtag #LincsArtCraftHour to the search bar to find everything that’s been posted there. You’ll find several blogs as well as some posts by the local artists. I haven’t tried it on Instagram yet but I can assure you it will be coming.
What’ve You Missed?
Lots of gift ideas have been posted including Christmas decorations and cards but the question really should be ‘who’ have you missed? That’s easy to remedy; You’ll find a list below which includes some contact details too.
Advert
Breakfast £3.70, Afternoon Tea £7.50 and 3 course dinners available too. What’s not to like? Why not visit The Eatery, 36 Park Street, Lincoln, Lincolnshire next time you’re in town? Please get in touch first though to book your visit. Just click on the picture to go to the Lincoln Age UK Facebook page or follow them on twitter @ageuklsl It’s all for charity and you get fed at a bargain price too!
The Local List:
Shopping in Lincolnshire with LincsConnect – This list is set to grow and grow so please do make a note to keep checking in to see who else has joined us:
Twitter Facebook Etsy/Folksy Website
@MelLangtonArt Mel Langton Art
@BurtonWard9 Burton&Ward Burton Ward
@origartprints fiduncart artist
@elliestreasures elliestreasures Ellies Treasures UK
@chrisdobbinart watercolourportraits
@Amanda_schonhut Amanda Schonhut Photography
@jpbphotography Light And Dreams Photography
@Scarletimpress1 Scarlet Impressions Art Scarlet Impressions
@EnglandCreate Create-England
@ShaliniAustin Shalini.Austin
@Blackbird1976 HDArtIllustration
@KcbraidsBeads KC Braids & Beads KC Braids & Beads
@Anitas_Cards_4U
@TuLuDraws TuLuDraws
@HeyBeretDesigns Hey Beret Designs
@JaneHaighArt Jane Haigh Art
@2021VisualArts 20-21 Visual Arts Centre
@MadeWithMud Made With Mud Made With Mud
Advert – Shopping In Lincolnshire With LincsConnect
Mandarin Therapies and @MandarinMothers provide a bespoke mobile complementary therapies service throughout the County of Lincolnshire and beyond. Call 07966 174878 to book your appointment today. Click on the picture to go straight to the Mandarin Therapies Facebook page.
More To Come
So far the active hashtags are #LincsConnect #LincsConnectJobs #LincsConnectChristmas and #LincsArtCraftHour but keep watching as there will be more interesting hashtags coming very soon.
In Case You Missed It…
Here are some quick links to take you to some more blogs that you may find interesting:
Charity
AgeUK Lincoln & South Lincoln are a registered charity needing your donations. However, you also have the chance to purchase an inexpensive meal here and be pleased to know that the profits will be going straight to the charity.
Let’s face it, you’re older now than when you first started reading this blog! Age creeps up on us all so it’s nice to know there is a charity here to help us when we need it. If you would like breakfast, afternoon tea or a full meal don’t forget to book your place early. Breakfast starts at 9.30am.
Stay Safe
Please go ahead and enjoy yourself but lease also remember to stay safe. Keeping a social 2m distance, regular hand washing and wearing a mask when required will help you, your family, friends and everyone around you.
