Digital media event is first for Lincoln

Boston will soon be the home of a new flagship Poundland store when it opens in the market place this October.

The discount retailer will be moving into the former Marks & Spencer site at Boston Market Place, which closed in April 2019 after being a staple in the area for decades.

Poundland has set an opening date of Saturday, October 9 following a large internal renovation, and big things have been promised for the store.

It will host a chilled and frozen food section, as well as popular clothing brand PEP&CO inside the 13,000 square feet facility.

PEP&CO offers a full range of clothing for all the family, and can be found in 400 Poundland stores across the UK.

A total of 21 members of staff will be employed, starting with those who work in the existing smaller Poundland store at Pescod Square, which will be closing to make way for the larger shop. The nearby PEP&CO store will stay open as usual.

It is the latest investment made by Poundland in Lincolnshire, following the opening of new stores in Spalding, Stamford and Ingoldmells over the past 18 months.

Poundland’s retail and transformation director, Austin Cooke, said: “The new Boston store will show off Poundland at its best and we can’t wait to open our doors in one of the town’s most iconic buildings. Our investment will give the building a new lease of life and create valuable jobs for Boston.

“Our existing customers in Boston are going to love the extended ranges on offer and new customers will discover our amazing value and quality, right in the heart of town.”

Head down to a pick your own pumpkin patch to entertain the kids autumn – with so many springing up around the area people in Lincolnshire will be spoiled for choice!

Here are ten to choose from:

• Waddingworth Pick Your Own Pumpkins at Redhouse Farm. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm from Saturday, October 9 to Sunday, October 31. There will be face painting and a street food stall. More information here.
• Doddington Hall Pick Your Own Pumpkins. Daily from Saturday, October 2 to Sunday, October 31, between 10am and 4pm. Find out more here.
• Tattershall Farm Park. The pumpkin patch will be open for the entire month of October. Visitors to the farm park can pay £6.99 to upgrade their tickets to get access to the pumpkins patch. There will be a Halloween craft, spooky sweet treat and a glitter tattoo. More details here.
• The Pumpkin Bumpkins Pick Your Own in Spridlington is a new patch for this year, with more than 40,000 pumpkins growing in the field. It will be open every weekend from Saturday, October 9, as well as every day during the half term week, 10am to 4.30pm. More information can be found here.
• Rand Farm Park’s Pumpkin Festival runs from Friday, October 22 to Sunday, October 31. Access to the patch is included with admission and there is also a pumpkin carving activity you can pay extra to do. More information here.
• Syston Park Farm Shop and Cafe near Grantham. The pumpkin patch will be open every day throughout October, with a variety of sizes shapes and colours. More details here.
• Lings Farm near Caistor. Weekends from Saturday, October 9 and then open every day from Monday, October 23 to Sunday, October 31. 10am to 4pm. There will be 5,000 different pumpkins to choose from. Find out more here.
• Bell’s Pumpkin Patch in Boston. Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17, then Saturday, October 23 to Sunday, October 31. There will be a pumpkin cannon raising money for charity and lots of family activities. More details can be found here.
• Coleby Pick Your Own Pumpkins. Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17, then every day from Friday, October 22 until Saturday, October 30. 10am to 4pm. They say there are some ‘monster’ pumpkins this year. More information here.
• Pink Pig Farm near Scunthorpe. The Pumpkin Festival will include picking and carving and will run from Saturday, October 23 to Sunday, October 31. Tickets can be booked online here.

One of the most iconic steam locomotives of all time, the Flying Scotsman, will be making an appearance in Lincolnshire this weekend as it tours from London on Saturday.

The steam train, built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), is among the most recognisable rail vehicles in history, covering more than two million miles when it was in service.

Steam locomotive 60103 Flying Scotsman will be hauling the Jolly Fisherman railtour, departing from London King’s Cross at 7.17am on Saturday, September 25.

Flying Scotsman in Saxilby. | Photo: Gary Hunt

It will stop off at a number of places before arriving at Skegness at 12.19pm, including a few visits to Lincolnshire stations such as Sleaford, Spalding, Boston and Wainfleet.

The train will then set off on its return journey from 4.27pm, scheduled to arrive back at King’s Cross at 9.35pm.

The Flying Scotsman will pass through Lincolnshire this weekend.

It often attracts quite a crowd when pulling into any of the county’s stations, though unlike back in 2018, the train will not be steaming through Lincoln on this trip.

This is the full estimated timetable for the Flying Scotsman’s journey:

Departure

• London King’s Cross – 7.17am
• Finsbury Park – 7.25am
• Potters Bar – 7.51am
• Welwyn Garden City – 8.02am
• Stevenage – 8.17am
• Hitchin – 8.24am
• Sandy – 8.38am
• Huntingdon – 8.55am
• Peterborough – 9.31am
• Spalding – 10.05am
• Sleaford – 10.31am
• Boston – 11.23am
• Wainfleet – 12.01am
• Skegness – 12.19am

Return

• Skegness – 4.27pm
• Wainfleet – 4.39pm
• Boston – 5.15pm
• Heckington – 5.42pm
• Ancaster – 6.01pm
• Grantham – 6.20pm
• Peterborough – 7.23pm
• Sandy – 8.14pm
• Biggleswade – 8.19pm
• Hitchin – 8.30pm
• Stevenage – 8.34pm
• Welwyn Garden City – 9pm
• Potters Bar – 9.12pm
• Finsbury Park – 9.29pm
• London King’s Cross – 9.35pm