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.
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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.
Six in ten new COVID cases in Lincolnshire were with the new, more infectious variant in the first week of 2021.
The county council’s public health team said that by January 8, 59.2% of tests contained a variant of the virus — up from 36% in the last two weeks of 2020.
North East Lincolnshire’s latest epidemiology report says 50% of positive COVID tests contained the new variant in the first two weeks of January, up from 40% at the end of December.
The new strains of COVID-19 are believed to be up to 70% more transmissible than the first circulating form of the virus.
Professor Derek Ward, Lincolnshire County Council’s director for public health, said he expected the new variants to “push the old one out”.
“At some point in the future 100% or 98% of our cases will be the new variants,” he said.
“The key point is the new variants are out there in South Africa and Brazil, but the key messages stay the same.
“It is a stay at home lockdown and it doesn’t matter which one it is, you’re not going to get it if you don’t go out the door, and, if you are going to have to go outdoors then remember hands, face, space.”
Pfizer said that their vaccine is effective against one key mutation, called N501Y, found in both of the new variants spreading in Britain and South Africa.
Meanwhile, under 70s could begin receiving the vaccine this week, as more than 4 million doses have been administered, the government said.
Tributes have been paid to a “real gentleman” after Skegness Town councillor and former mayor Jim Carpenter sadly died over the weekend.
Skegness Town Council was informed of the 71-year-old’s death on Monday, January 18. It is understood that Jim had also contracted coronavirus prior to his death.
Jim, who lived in Skegness and served the St Clements Ward, had been on the town council since May 2007.
He became mayor in 2013 and at the time of his death he held the position of deputy. He had been due to become mayor again in May 2021.
Jim Carpenter, as deputy mayor, was invited to officially open ‘Winnies’, the new Community Lounge in the Old Methodist Church in Winthorpe. | Photo: Skegness Town Council
Jim was also on the interview panel when town clerk Steve Larner was appointed in his role in 2011.
Steve told The Lincolnite: “I always found that he was a real gentleman in terms of the time he gave to everybody.
“He was just a really nice person and I never heard anybody say a bad word about him. He was liked by everyone he came into contact with.
“He was very generous with his time and I worked with him when he was mayor and he did an excellent job.”
Former mayor, councillor Jim Carpenter (left) with current mayor, councillor Mark Dannatt. | Photo: Skegness Town Council
Mark Dannatt, the current mayor of Skegness, said: “Councillor Carpenter’s death has come as a great shock to councillors and staff alike.
“Our memories are of a true gentleman who gave his time generously and worked hard for his family and the community.
“My thoughts and those of all my colleagues on the council go out to Jim’s family and friends at this sad and difficult time.”
The mayor is also likely to say a few words at a management committee meeting on Wednesday night.
Any plans of remembrance or tributes for Jim will be discussed at the next full town council meeting on February 3.
Get ready for your sausage roll fix at the biggest Greggs store in Lincoln yet, when the British bakery chain opens its fifth shop in the city on Thursday.
The new branch will open on January 21 in the unit formerly occupied by Edinburgh Woollen Mill at St Peter at Arches on Lincoln High Street once the final finishing touches are complete.
The new 240sqm store, which will use one floor of the two-storey building, was originally due to open last summer, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the plans.
Now it will be open for takeaway and via Greggs’ click and collect service, with favourites including sausage rolls, pasties, sandwiches and other savouries and sweet treats, as well as vegan-friendly products.
It will open Monday to Saturday between 7am to 6pm and from 8am-5pm on Sunday.
Once coronavirus restrictions are eased, there will be space for 26 people to eat inside.
The shop has created a total of 10 new jobs for the local community and any remaining jobs will be advertised online.
Jade Turner, shop manager at Lincoln Greggs said: “We cannot wait to open our doors and welcome customers from the local community.
“We are pleased to offer customers a range of tasty items to takeaway or via click and collect.”
Roisin Currie, retail and people director for Greggs, said: “We’re delighted to be able to invest in Lincoln bringing new jobs to the area and providing both new and existing customers with a modern and convenient new shop.”
The news comes after Greggs previously announced that it would be opening 100 new shops across the UK in 2021.
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