This is the final part of my Christmas Newsletter. I have been working through my December photos which I took while I was in Lincolnshire. I intend to leave you in peace after this but keep checking my blog in case anything interesting happens!
Lincoln
The purpose of my visit was to attend a two day seminar on research methodology - the first day on quantitative (SPSS) methods and the second on qualitative (NVivo). It was very interesting, well presented
 |
| Steep Hill with Christmas Lights |
|
|
|
|
and supported by excellent handouts. It gave me a great deal to ponder in particular what use I can make of these methodologies in my own research. The seminar was held at Bishop Grosseteste University which is located on the northern edge of the City of Lincoln just beyond the Cathedral. When you walk from the train station it is all up hill, sometimes very steep. Fortunately there was a bus. However on both days I walked back to the station through the Cathedral precincts and the old city. By coincidence or design the annual Lincoln Christmas Market was in full swing. The temporary stalls, decorations and shop displays provided a colourful backdrop to it all. I had decided to book accommodation in a nearby market town called Market Rasen famous for its racecourse. Not only was it cheaper but much quieter.
 |
| Christmas stalls in the Cathedral precincts |
A big bonus for me was the opportunity to attend Choral Evensong in the Cathedral on the Thursday evening prior to the formal opening (and blessing!) of the Christmas Market by the Bishop of Lincoln. It addition to myself evensong was attended by all the 'great and the good' including the Lord Mayor, High Sheriff of Lincolnshire and the Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire in all their regalia.At the end of evensong all the dignitaries, clergy and choir processed to open west door where the formal opening took place.
 |
| The 'great and the good' of Lincolnshire |
After a walk down the hill thronged with shoppers I made my way back to the railway station and onwards to my hotel in Market Rasen which was only a 20 minute train ride away. After the Friday session I was met by my good friend Jonny Riches who lives in Wold Newton very close to where I was staying. The following three days were spent with Jonny and his wife Alice (also a good friend!) in their rural Lincolnshire cottage. This was my first chance to explore the Lincolnshire countryside. In the space of three days I was able to visit Grimsby and Cleethorpes twice (!) once in the dark and once during the day. Visiting either town in the dark is marginally better. Undoubtedly the highlight of the Saturday was the hours spent in Louth, an ancient market town, climbing to the top of St James' Church Tower and exploring the streets, foodie and book shops. They have wonderful family run butchers, bakers and greengrocers.
 |
| St James Tower from the bottom |
 |
Louth from the tower (2)
|
 |
| Louth from the tower (1) |
The unexpected is always a surprise and my hosts kindly stopped the car on the way back from Louth to allow me to take this picture of the sunset from the brow a hill close to Wold Newton.
 |
| Sunset at North Elkington |
After church on the Sunday (my 69th birthday), and using a country route, Jonny and I headed south to visit the National Trust property of Tattershall Castle on the outskirts of Conningsby. Unfortunately it was closed so we could not explore its six floors and the view from the roof. However, we managed to walk around its double moat and take a quick picture in the fading light. Adjacent is the Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity completed in 1500. It is not connected with the Castle but has a very fine nave and windows well worth visiting in spite of all the 'artefacts' littering the interior.
 |
| Tattershall Castle |
 |
| Holy Trinity Collegiate Church Tattershall |
The next 'point of interest' involved making a short detour via Kirkstead Abbey near Woodhall Spa. This Cistercian Abbey (now in ruins) was founded in 1139. On the boundary of the abbey, and almost as old, dating from about 1220, is St Leonard's Church. Apart from its roof this church is original and constructed in a plain Cistercian style with Norman features. It just happened that they were about to commence their annual Christmas Carol service as we arrived. But, there was time to take a picture with the setting sun casting its light on the west wall. But we had an urgent rendezvous to fulfil.
 |
| St Leonard's Church, Kirkstead |
Our ultimate destination, before returning to Wold Newton, was the town of Tattershall. Why visit Tattershall you may ask? The reason is that it has a unique cinema (movie theater), located in a large wooden hut, with its own Wurlitzer Organ that rises out of the ground. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to witness this amazing phenomenon but we did manage to see a film. Well, in fact it was a live broadcast from the Old Vic - 'The Crucible' (Arthur Miller's famous play about the witches of Salem) starring Richard Armitage. It was excellent and easy to draw parallels with the McCarthy era of the 1950's (and even events more recent and closer to home). Miller himself was accused of 'un-American activities' in 1956.
Organs were very common in cinemas, especially before the Second World War. The organist would entertain the cinema goers before the performance, while the reels were being changed and at the ice cream/pop corn interval. A friend of my father's, Bill Woods, used to play the Wurlitzer at the Regal Cinema in Colchester. As he came out of the floor Bill would turn around and wave to the audience with one hand and continue playing with the other hand and his feet! How I would have loved to have seen that happening again.
So that was the enjoyable conclusion to four weeks travel - the first three in the USA (Part I and Part II) and then Lincolnshire (Part III). Now to get back home, catch up with everything and prepare for Christmas. How lucky I have been to have four wonderful weeks.
