After poring over articles trying to make my mind up about the latest “poverty porn” thrust onto our television screens courtesy of Channel 4, I decided to do some late night Googling on my home city, Lincoln. Yes, in spite of my “slightly Oxford”, “slightly cockney” and “slightly confusing” accent, I was born and bred right here in Lincoln. I even say “bhus” when talking about public transport.
I grew up watching the university being erected and go from strength to strength (I now know I am an adult, according to my nieces, because I tut and utter “how long has that building been there?” every time we go into the city centre) and seeing the Brayford landscape grow upwards and indeed outwards. For the local, the university brings a mixture of feelings, but to me it feels like the general consensus is that architecturally they’ve done a good job, and also economically. Having lived close to student quarters, I can also tell you that they’re one of the least rowdy bunch, and in a lot of cases from my bar maid days, significantly politer than most.
No, the university isn’t the problem. It’s the roads. As I’m sure my fellow columnist Keith Jones can tell you, our highway system is archaic at best. The fact of the matter is, despite once being a city of upmost importance to those rather inventive Romans, it is a very small, built up city.
We have housing estates all the way up to the High Street, sprawling in every direction – Sincil Bank, Monks Road, West Parade, Burton Road and everywhere in between. There is no room to update the centre’s road system to cope with increasing demand. I live in Waddington and the recent ‘improvements’ to the bottom of Brant Road left everyone saying the same thing – imagine how many pot holes you could’ve fixed instead?
Sociologically speaking, my searching brought me upon police.uk – the official website to look upon local crime statistics. Be warned that due to privacy laws, it only states the street, month and ‘type’ of crime. It’s not one to read up on when you need to put your bins out late at night in your favourite onesie, unless it has a baseball bat pocket.
As it happens, crime in the county has once again decreased. Child poverty is also well below national average according to the Lincolnshire Research Observatory; 16.5% under-16s were living in poverty compared to 21.6% nationally.
There’s also the state of our local NHS trusts. Lincolnshire was chosen for the Bruce Keogh review amongst others for a full report because of the higher than average mortality rate. As I mentioned in my last article, despite what is being portrayed our hospitals are improving all the time, and most issues are down to the lack of funding or outsourcing. For locals, according to the 2011 census, 79% described their health as being good or very good.
Wages are a sore point in Lincolnshire, with the full-time average being £10.74 compared to the national £16.50 for 2012. Though with the average house price here being £123,804 compared to the national £284,000, the county is a pretty good looking option for people from most walks of life.
I was educated in Lincoln, I made my friends here, fell in love here, learned the steps to adulthood and the bittersweet realities of living. Now I have two children and I have moved back here permanently.
One thing most Lincoln natives will tell you is that for a city, it’s an awful lot like a village.
For me, I have memories of meeting friends in “the Square” outside Wilkinson’s, drinking in the Falcon as a student, and endless walks around the cathedral in all weathers. Where else could you walk up a hill and feel like you’ve gone on holiday?
Lincoln and the surrounding county has its problems, but as a city we have see it grow and progress quicker than most of the UK.
We have two award-winning universities plus an outstanding, ever expanding college, a thriving business sector, affordable housing and a well stocked High Street. It just takes a little longer to get to it.
In the next few years work may take me to London more and more, but home is where the heart is, and although I’ve never considered myself a yellow belly, I am a Lincolnite.
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Kate Taylor is a sociologist, mother and tea and cake lover. When not working in sociological and marketing research with her company, Galilee Research, Kate can be found talking about political philosophy on the school run.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Scunthorpe-born television heart-throb Jake Quickenden believes the next few weeks could be “make or break” for many smaller venues due to the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the industry.
Panto was unable to go ahead in 2020 due to the pandemic, so it will be a welcome return when The Beauty & The Beast takes centre stage at the New Theatre Royal Lincoln between December 7, 2021 and January, 9, 2022.
Jake plays the part of baddie Flash Hugo and he joins the largest ever cast for Lincoln’s longest running traditional pantomime. Zoe Hanna May from ITV’s The Voice will play the lead role of Belle.
Jake told BBC Look North: “Everything means a lot to them, every show they need to sell so they can keep it open. Just look around, it’s beautiful, you just would not want it to shut down and anything happen to it so it is make or break.”
He added: “I’ve done alright for myself, I’ve come through it and I perform now which I’m so grateful for, but if I hadn’t taken that step into the arts I don’t know what I would be doing, I’d probably still be working at the steelworks as a brickie like I was before.
“We’ve got to think about the younger generation they’re the ones that need levelling up because there the ones that are going to be growing up in Scunthorpe and hopefully having these opportunities.”
Natalie Hayes-Cowley (left), the theatre’s Artistic Director and the show’s producer with three leading cast members – James de Lauch Hay, Jake Quickenden and Zoe Hanna May. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Natalie Hayes-Cowley, the theatre’s Artistic Director, said: “We just navigate it the best we can, even now all we can do is follow government guidelines and just hope that throughout the pantomime run things keep going in the right direction and not backwards, because that would be detrimental for us definitely.”
In upcoming Beauty & The Beast panto, CBBC’s ‘Yonko’ Chris Johnson will play Belle’s father Professor Ivar Brainstorm, while Britain’s Got Talent finalist Christian Lee will play Marcel Allumette, the quirky candelabra.
Strengthening the cast further are Lincoln’s own Chris Hayes, Paul Aitchison, and Georgia Hayes-Cowley, who will star as Humphrey Battenburg, Mary Muffintop and Mindy Singit respectively.
Camilia O’Grady, Vanessa Dumatey and Laura Wenton will be making their New Theatre Royal Lincoln debuts starring as Serenity Rose/Gigi Vavaoo, Cindy Singit and Lindy Singit respectively. The role of Carrie Cupcake will be shared by Ruby Grayson and Kyla Hurdley.
The death of a Red Arrows engineer who lost his life after a jet burst into flames could have been avoided, according to the coroner investigating the incident.
Corporal Jonathan Bayliss, 41, from Ingham in Lincolnshire, lost his life on March 21, 2018, when a Hawk T1 aircraft he was in the rear seat of crashed on the runway at RAF Valley in Anglesey.
A coroner’s inquest into Bayliss’ death found that he died from smoke inhalation and a low grade head injury, as the pilot on board, Flight Lieutenant David Stark, survived after ejecting moments before the plane hit the ground.
Coroner Katie Sutherland rejected calls from Bayliss’ family for a conclusion of unlawful killing, and instead said she would send a report to the Ministry of Defence to draw up steps to be taken in order for future deaths to be prevented.
Flight Lieutenant David Stark joined the Red Arrows in 2017. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A Defence Safety Authority Service inquiry has resulted in 25 recommendations being made for future incidents, highlighting shortcomings in training for ejection procedures at the time.
In a report published by the DSAS, the Service Inquiry Panel said that the jet departed from the RAF Valley with the intention of simulating an engine failure in a training exercise.
It was then supposed to fly to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, but during the training manoeuvre, the plane stalled and crashed near the runway, as it was flying too low to recover.
The wreckage lay covered in what looked like red tarpaulin was surrounded by firefighters that afternoon. Photo: David Robert Jones
Ms Sutherland stated that the evidence suggested the crash could have been avoided, and the MoD breached its duty, but not enough to reach a conclusion of corporate manslaughter.
As well as this, it was discovered that surviving pilot David Stark did not breach his duty of care during the incident, and he was carrying out a practised engine failure on take off at the time.
Scientists estimate the new Omicron variant could be twice as likely to re-infect people as coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire jumped 20% in November and 50% week-on-week.
The first real world data from the scientists in South Africa showed a surge in the number of people catching Covid multiple times. The initial research shows Omicron may evade some immunity.
Figures from earlier this week show that there were 19,687 cases in November, while 92 deaths were recorded, of which 42 were in hospital.
According to the Government figures, between September 30 and October 31 there were 16,447 cases, an increase of nearly 20%.
Since Wednesday, the latest COVID stats for Lincolnshire have been:
2,329 new cases of coronavirus with 1,621 in Lincolnshire, 395 in North East Lincolnshire and 313 in North Lincolnshire.
15 further deaths were recorded in the government figures, including 13 Lincolnshire residents, one North East Lincolnshire resident and one North Lincolnshire resident
One further hospital death at Lincolnshire Community Health Service
The figures leave the weekly totals at 3,501 cases, 19 deaths and 20 hospital deaths. Between November 21 and 26 there were 2,360 cases, a near 50% rise.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman has confirmed there are currently no plans to make vaccinations mandatory, according to Sky News.
They also denied separate lockdown measures for the unvaccinated in future.
“Our priority is to continue to promote vaccinations and promote boosters now that we are rolling out more and more boosters to more and more people.
“That is our priority, that’s our focus, and that’s what we’re asking people to come forward and take,” they said.
Greater Lincolnshire’s latest cases up to December 3. | Data: gov.uk
NHS vaccination data released on Thursday revealed 1,383,648 doses COVID jabs had now been handed out in Lincolnshire.
Of those, 553,946 were second jabs – around 87.31% of the total 634,453 population of Lincolnshire.
The data added 37,330 new doses to the statistics. It included to 34,945 booster jabs being included bringing the total to 230,170.
The remaining 2,385 doses was nearly 58% fewer than the previous week’s 5,628 – however, the Lincolnshire Showground did close during several days last week.
Some 569,654 people over the age of 18, and 29,237 under 18s had received their first dose. Figures also showed that 17,781 first doses had been given to 12 to 15-year-olds in Lincolnshire – 53.8% of the eligible population.
A total of 551,003 over 18s and 2,943 under 18s have been double-dosed.
In North East Lincolnshire a total of 265,204 doses of the vaccine have been administered, with 106,792 second doses and 41,981 booster jabs. 39.6% of 12 to 15-year-olds have been given at least one dose.
In North Lincolnshire, 302,142 doses have been handed out, with 119,010 being double-jabbed and 53,26 having a booster shot. 48.4% of the eligible 12 to 15-year-old population have been administered at least one shot.
Greater Lincolnshire’s latest vaccinations up to December 3. | Data: gov.uk
The UK-based Cov-Boost trial found those boosted with Pfizer after two doses of AstraZeneca had antibody levels nearly 25 times higher after a month.
Pfizer recipients saw antibody levels rose more than eightfold.
The biggest increase though was from the Moderna vaccine, which raised antibody levels 32-fold in the AstraZeneca group and 11-fold in the Pfizer group. When Moderna is used in the UK booster programme, it is given at a half-dose.
However, the scientists said that people started with different antibody levels and so also urged caution when comparing performance.
Elsewhere in the UK, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics said one-in-60 people in England were estimated to have had Covid in the week up to November 27. The figure was up from one in 65 the previous week.
England’s R Number, however, is estimated to be between 0.9 and 1.1 – down slightly from between 1 and 1.1 last week.
“We’re all tired but we’ve just got to keep going,” is the message from Lincolnshire’s health bosses as mask wearing appears to be in decline and COVID-19 fatigue further sets in.
It comes as there has been a noticeable decline in the number of people wearing face coverings, to protect both themselves and others by limiting transmission of the virus.
Many are sceptical of the government’s promise that Christmas will not be affected by the virus after last minute restrictions at the end of 2020.
Elsewhere, COVID-19 booster vaccinations are to be extended to people aged 18-39, and Lincolnshire’s NHS sector is gearing up to roll out to the next cohort.
NHS Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group has announced it will be preparing to offer booster jabs to people between the ages of 18 and 39, but has asked for patience due to the large volume of requests it will get.
As well as the extended cohort for the booster vaccinations, the government has also announced a reduction from six months to three for the interval between second doses and boosters, eligibility for a second dose for 12 to 15-year-olds, and a fourth dose for immunosuppressed people if recommended by their clinical team.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, December 3
159,961 (up 2,329)
107,175 in Lincolnshire (up 1,621)
25,690 in North Lincolnshire (up 395)
27,096 in North East Lincolnshire (up 395)
2,515 deaths (up 15)
1,840 from Lincolnshire (up 13)
340 from North Lincolnshire (up one)
335 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)
of which 1,505 hospital deaths (up one)
929 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (up one)
45 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (up one)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
530 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF THE LATEST UPDATE. POSTCODE DATA INCLUDES DEATHS NOT IN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES OR IN HOSPITALS OUTSIDE AUTHORITY BOUNDARIES.
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