Beacon Summer 2017

Issue 4: Summer 2017

In this issue... 

Welcome...................................................... 2 

John Pye...................................................... 3 

Park update / forest fun............................. 4 

Advisory Group........................................... 5 

Bridges / Knight cover story....................... 6 

Linkage café and charity shop................. 7 

Linkage College.......................................... 8 

Bandstand.................................................... 10 

City of Lincoln Council............................... 12 

Volunteers in the park................................ 14 

Fundraising / events................................... 16 

Children’s page.......................................... 17 

Heritage story.............................................. 18 

Rob’s retirement................................... 19 

Working hard on transforming the park 

at ground level are: 

Claire Eldred 

Project Manager 

Caroline Wallis 

Community Development Worker 

caroline.wallis@linkage.org.uk 

07436 539936 

Neville Coupland 

Project Assistant 

neville.coupland@linkage.org.uk 

07834 335669 

Barbara Moulson 

Fundraising Manager 

fundraising@linkage.org.uk 

01790 752499 

boulthampark.co.uk 

twitter.com/BoulthamPark 

facebook.com/BoulthamPark 

Super Special Volunteer Shout Out 

A huge thank you goes out to Trudi Hayes. 

Trudi was the designer of the Beacon 3, 

while she was working for Linkage, which 

was heralded as a swish success by all. She 

generously volunteered to offer her design 

services to the park cause and created this 

4th edition. Trudi also set her skills onto the 

park’s new welcome boards which will be 

installed later this year. She always gives fine 

attention to detail which makes a fantastic 

end product. www.trudihayes.co.uk. 

Caroline’s 

Community Corner 

H 

ello, everyone! 

I’m Caroline, your 

new Community 

Development Worker. 

I joined the Project in 

December and can’t 

believe six months have 

gone by already! My first event was the 

Big Tidy Up litter pick in January and I was 

overwhelmed by the support it received 

from local residents. What struck me most 

about spending time in and around the 

park is what a strong, positive community 

Boultham is and how much the park is used 

and valued. It’s an absolute pleasure to 

be helping Linkage and the City of Lincoln 

Council, the project’s partners, to restore 

and revive this historic community space 

and I look forward to meeting more of you 

in the coming months. 

In this bumper issue, we’ll be focusing 

on the restoration and return of the 

bandstand. I was fortunate enough to 

visit the Lost Art workshops in Wigan and 

meet the talented craftsmen behind its 

transformation. More about that on the 

centrefold. We’ll also be speaking to 

colleagues from Linkage and the City of 

Lincoln Council about their aspirations for 

the park now that the building works are 

nearing completion. Plus, as always, we 

have information about our fundraising 

efforts, our upcoming events, news from 

our volunteers, and some fun for the kids 

towards the back. 

We’d also love to hear from you if you have 

any comments on how to improve the 

Beacon or ideas for future stories. 

Wishing you all a safe and sunny summer! 

2 www.boulthampark.co.uk

Changes and 

permanencies 

Some things change, and some 

things never change. So, in 

this column, I will be looking at 

the changes that I’ve seen and 

felt since the last Boultham Park 

Beacon came out. 

From what was felt as disharmony and 

disquiet has now evolved into harmony. 

There was a long time of apparently 

nothing happening, much talking and the 

publicity of intentions for the Park. Well, 

you can’t say that nothing’s happening 

any more, can you? 

Massive changes have happened 

already, now that Casey and their 

machines are all over the place working. 

Some things are coming down and some 

things going up. 

It’s a well-known fact that people don’t 

like change. So the partnership of the 

City of Lincoln Council and Linkage 

made available their intended plans 

through public meetings and promotions. 

Everything that is now happening is the 

actualisation of those plans, as the people 

that actually attended the meetings 

well know. As always, when thoughts are 

turned into actions it can be a bit of a 

shock, which I can’t deny I felt, also. 

However, what I believe to be most 

important is that the ‘Spirit of Boultham 

Park’ remains - that is the permanency. 

That is what many people do not notice, 

not necessarily through their own fault, but 

with the speed and stress of living in the 

so called modern world and the modern 

way of living. 

www.boulthampark.co.uk 

I’m past my sell by date and those who 

know me know that I prefer the old ways 

which are much more relaxed, slower and 

less complicated. So it’s relatively easy for 

me to switch off and be wrapped in the 

spirit of Boultham Park and know that in 

fact all is well. 

The spirit of Boultham 

Park is alive and well. 

If in doubt? Try just sitting quietly when 

not many are about or by the lake, 

especially on a moon and star-lit night. 

Close your eyes and relax your racing 

mind and become still, both inwardly and 

outwardly, and you will feel it. Maybe only 

fleeting glimpses at first, but subtly, almost 

indiscernibly. If you do it often you will 

become part of it and it part of you. 

The spirit of Boultham Park is alive and 

well as it has always been. Beats paying 

money for the various relaxation and stress 

release classes that seem to be thriving 

with an ever-increasing demand. 

The best things in life are free. 

John Pye 

Chair of the Boultham Park Advisory Group 

3

Number crunching 

• 500 tonnes of stone and 14,000 bricks used in construction 

• 2 apprentices/students working on-site 

• 650m temporary fencing erected 

• 3 excavators/2 dumpers/1 telehandler on-site 

• St Helen’s gate replaced 

• Café structure constructed 

• Glasshouse walls built 

• Stable block re-roofed and internal walls reconfigured 

• Two bridges replaced (see page 6) 

• Crazy paving refresh underway 

• Bandstand nearing completion (see pages 10/11) 

• Lake outlet weir/gully completed with voluntary effort and donations 

• Various underground cabling and channelling complete 

• Park Advisory Group re-invigorated (see page 5) 

• Volunteer time in park off the scale (see pages 14/15) 

• Community events and activities highly popular and well attended 

MINI EXPLORERS HAVE FOREST FUN 

I 

f you go down to the woods on the first 

Saturday of the month you’re sure to find lots 

of Mini Explorers! 

We have been having ‘Forest Fun’ in Boultham Park 

since last December. The fun begins as we hunt and 

play on our journey through the park to the woods. 

We continue exploring in the woods through a variety 

of activities linked to a seasonal story. 

So far our woodland inspired activities have included 

following a jingle bell trail and Goldilock’s trail of 

destruction, sailing a boat of branches, adventures 

with Stick Man, dancing with ‘Wild Things’ and 

creating with natural materials. 

If you have a ‘Mini Explorer’ who would like 

to join us for an hour of Forest Fun, come 

to Boultham library at 10.30am on the first 

Saturday of each month. Please contact 

Neville to book your place (see page 2). 

Jo Collett 

Forest Fun Leader and local volunteer 

Engaging young people 


Involving the 

community 

Have you ever thought that the park could be a little bit better? 

Have you got some good ideas of how to run things? 

Is your vision slightly different to what you see? 

Well, here is your chance to make your 

mark. Boultham Park Advisory Group 

was established over 15 years ago for 

local residents and interest groups. They 

consult and inform the City of Lincoln 

Council on what is happening at ground 

level and help develop ideas for restoring 

the park. A lot of excellent work has been 

done by a variety of people over the 

years who we all thank heartily. 

As parks are evolving places there is 

always a requirement for assistance. 

Robert and Diane Pitchford have 

been helping out recently running the 

successful litter pick events and they are 

also involved in helping out at St Helens 

Church, outstanding community input 

from them both. John Pye continues his 

super efforts as the Chair, along with other 

key team members. There are a variety of 

roles if you want to lend a hand. 

As the project construction work is at its 

peak don’t make the mistake of thinking 

you aren’t needed; it is totally the 

opposite! The project team are funded 

by the Heritage Lottery Fund / Big Lottery 

Fund until November 2018 and so now 

is the best time to engage with the park 

with guaranteed support from the project 

team. 

The aim is to help you make the most of 

your park and to steer it in the direction 

that is right for you and your families, so 

that you can enjoy a healthy park life 

for decades to come. As well as the 

advisory group you might be able to help 

with social media, advertising, events 

management, stock keeping, path 

sweeping or even marketing. The options 

are infinite and the cause is grand. 

Email neville.coupland@linkage.org.uk or 

call 07834 335669. 

Below: Diane (far left) and Robert Pitchford (far right) with May’s litter pick group. 

See pages 14/15 for other volunteer stories including litter picks earlier in the year. 


5

Improving maintenance 

in the park 

Bridging 

the gap 

Did you know that there are five 

bridges in Boultham Park? 

You may have noticed that they have 

recently been in the spotlight. If you 

enter the park from the Rookery Lane 

pedestrian crossing gate you will see that 

the first bridge has been replaced with 

new green fencing and hardwood rail 

boards (above right). 

Moving towards the lake and looking 

across the old boating channels, the 

bridge near the beacon (above) has 

been totally restored and improved with a 

steel base which was previously wooden. 

This should stand the test of time for all the 

happy visitors heading to feed the ducks. 

The Casey Construction team will soon 

be working on the other bridge near the 

beacon so keep your eyes peeled. The 

arched bridge was previously completed 

by the City of Lincoln Council as it was in 

need of restoring more urgently. It will be 

great to see all five looking fresh and new 

in the coming months. 

Proud 

Knight 

The ‘Proud Knight’ visited Boultham Park as 

part of a tour of places Lincoln has to be 

proud of. The park is a major project for the 

City of Lincoln Council and a key element 

of their vision to deliver Lincoln’s ambitious 

future. 

The Knight of the Charter is sponsored by the council and is one 

of 36 that form the Knights’ Trail, which will run in Lincoln from 20th 

May until 3rd September (www.knightstrail.com). 

Pictured here are Mark Commons, Linkage’s Head of Business 

Development and Marketing (left) and Lee George, Community 

Contracts Officer, City of Lincoln Council (right). 


Charity shop opens 

in Birchwood 

Linkage has opened the doors 

to its first retail venture based at 

the Birchwood Shopping Centre in 

Lincoln. 

The shop is helping to raise vital funds and 

plays an important role raising awareness 

of the charity. Over time the long-term 

aim will also provide Linkage students 

with opportunities to work in a retail 

environment and gain valuable work 

experience. 

“We have had a great first few weeks” 

says Grace Cook, manager, “and would 

now like to build our dedicated team of 

volunteers to help staff the shop.” 

The shop stocks good quality second 

hand clothes and household items, plus 

a range of hand crafted products from 

Linkage’s Wood ‘n’ Stuff enterprise. Some 

of the student’s most popular items 

include bird feeders and houses, planter 

stands and hanging baskets. 

Call Grace on 01522 688550 for further 

details or visit the recruitment fair (see 

below). 

Linkage Café in 

the park 

Fancy a soothing ice cream on a 

hot sunny day or a warm meal on 

a winters morning? Or maybe a sit 

down to rest your legs with a coffee 

after a refreshing walk around the 

park? Well coming this Autumn is 

the brand new Linkage Café. 

The café will have a great view of the 

park and hall footprint through it’s 

panoramic windows and the range 

of outdoor seating, and you could be 

learning lots about the park’s heritage 

whilst indulging in a host of tasty treats. 

The café will be operated by Linkage who 

will be training students in hospitality and 

bringing new jobs and employment to the 

area. 

Highlights include: 

• Stokes tea and coffee 

• Proud to use local free range eggs, 

bread and meats 

• Member of ‘Select Lincolnshire’ 

• Open early if you’re on your way to 

work 

• Eat in or take away. 

Linkage Recruitment Fair 

Friday 9 June 2017, 10am to 2pm 

The Showroom, Tritton Road, 

CARE/EDUCATION 

Lincoln, LN6 7QY 

Register at www.eventbrite.co.uk VOLUNTEERING 

Further details from: 

louise.cotton@linkage.org.uk BOULTHAM PARK 

or just turn up on the day! VACANCIES

Linkage College 

Principal, Martin 

Shelton, talks to 

the Beacon 

Linkage is in its 40th year of 

success and I hear it has other 

establishments in the county of 

Lincolnshire. Could you tell us a bit 

about the company and how the 

new college fits in the strategy? 

Linkage Community Trust started 40 years 

ago, with a starting point of four students. 

The Trust now has over 1,000 clients and 

students and a healthy annual turnover. 

The Trust comprises of Education, Care, 

Adult Skills and Community Support. The 

education element, through the College, 

has campuses at Weelsby in Grimsby and 

Toynton near Spilsby, so the Boultham Park 

Campus will be Linkage’s third education 

centre. Linkage’s vision is that people 

with learning difficulties and disabilities 

have opportunities and choice and are 

supported to achieve their aspirations. 

Linkage’s 5-year strategy outlines how the 

Trust will further develop this vision, with 

the Linkage Campus at Boultham Park 

being a key component of this. 

What will a day in the life be like for 

students studying here? 

Linkage students studying at Boultham 

Park will enjoy an outstanding learning 

experience tailored to their individual 

needs. From developing skills for 

independence, gaining qualifications, 

developing their travel skills, enjoying a 

range of activities which enhance their 

personal and social development and of 

course gaining the skills and qualifications 

to enable them to progress, where 

applicable, into employment. 

When will the students start arriving 

on the park? 

Students will start to attend the College 

from September. There has been 

tremendous interest in the project locally, 

regionally and nationally with both 

day and residential students already 

confirmed to study here. 

What training will the college offer? 

Each of the Linkage College campuses 

offer a core curriculum of English, 

Mathematics, Media and ICT and 

Personal and Social Development (PSD) 

as well as specialising in key vocational 

areas. At the Boultham Park Campus the 

specialisms are Hospitality and Catering, 

Horticulture and Small Animal Care. 

Which facilities will the public have 

access to? 

The public will have access to the 

Café, Horticulture Glasshouse and 

Small Animal Centre. They can enjoy 

opportunities to spend time in the café 


enjoying refreshments from a menu 

designed following local feedback. Part 

of the Glasshouse will feature a small 

garden centre which will sell a range 

of goods and produce and visitors will 

be able to see the animals cared for 

by Linkage. Within these areas students 

will be developing their skills in realistic 

commercial environments, developing 

skills in the vocational area, customer 

service, retailing and communication. 

How will the college benefit the park 

in the long term? 

The park will provide the customer base 

for our working environments, provide 

the space for students to enjoy activities 

which promote their health and wellbeing, 

supply customers through events 

over weekends and give the students 

opportunities for voluntary work and work 

experience. 

Can you summarise the college 

aims in three words? 

How about a sneak preview of some 

exciting things coming in the future? 

Linkage students have achieved and 

have been nominated for a number of 

awards. Currently we are awaiting the 

result of Linkage Vintage, our up-cycling 

project, who have been nominated for 

a regional award. Within three years we 

aim to be Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ (in our 

inspection of November 2016 Linkage 

College maintained its ‘Good’ rating). 

Any other comments? 

All staff, managers, trustees and students 

are hugely looking forward to working 

and learning at Boultham Park and 

supporting the needs of the local 

community. 

Thank you Martin, it sounds really 

exciting. See you at the Café! 

Outstanding learning experience 

Creating new opportunities 

Outstanding 

learning 

experience 


9

The 

Lost Art 

workshop 

Structurally 

sound 

Albert Crowhurst (pictured 

below) is one of the Lost Art 

team members reconstructing 

the bandstand. He has worked on 

numerous others and his previous 

restoration was in Hyde Park, 

London. 

In March, the Project Team, 

with City of Lincoln Council 

and Boultham Park Advisory 

Group representatives, visited 

the workshops of Lost Art in 

Wigan, the company tasked 

with the restoration of the park’s 

bandstand. 

Everyone agreed it was really 

interesting to see all the different skills 

on display by their craftsmen and very 

heartening to see how much passion 

they have for the restoration that they 

carry out. Many thanks to Dominic 

Liptrop and Daniel Lee and their team 

for making time to show us around and 

explain the different aspects of their 

work. 

Can you spot the 

various bits of our 

bandstand? 

Top: Restored bandstand 

metal work. 

Right: Project Manager 

Claire Eldred with 

Dominic from Lost Art. 

Good morning Albert. Thanks for 

looking after the bandstand. How is it 

all going? 

Really well. We are on track and now 

working on the wooden ceiling, while 

zinc specialists are putting the roof on. 

We always try and put back as much 

original as possible to keep it authentic. 

Protecting our 

proud heritage 


The bandstand being reassembled 

Why did the bandstand need to be taken 

away? 

We can make a better job by 

sandblasting the metal in the factory as 

it removes all the old paint. Some original 

base layers may have had lead in, so 

from a health and safety perspective it’s 

better to do that away from the park. We 

now know the exact condition as it was 

completely stripped. Luckily the posts 

are bolted to the base so we could do 

that, whereas in Hyde Park the posts were 

concreted into the base all the way to the 

bottom so we had to do that one on the 

site. 

Did you have any problems with the 

refurbishment? 

As in most bandstands, the posts act as 

drainpipes so they often get blocked up 

with debris and leaves and in winter they 

will expand and crack. We have restored 

one that was in bad shape and placed a 

cast iron sleeve inside with a plastic inner, 

this makes a hardier and long lasting 

product. 

What qualities do the team need to work 

on jobs like this? 

They have to like this type of work 

because it is very intense and have a 

skilled trade behind them. To be fair I’m 

getting past it a bit as going up and down 


ladders is a young man’s job. I’m a joiner 

by trade, however my family were wheel 

wrights and I was taught to weld and 

forge in my younger days; you build up a 

knowledge over the years. Luckily, these 

days the cranes take a lot of the hard 

work out of it as we can build the roof 

structure at ground level and then hoist 

it all up. Previously, every piece of wood 

had to be lifted up by hand. 

What will be the final touch? 

The steps are being replaced due to poor 

condition and new handrails will be put 

on. We’ve also made a new weather 

vane, which is ready at the workshop that 

will go up before the scaffolding comes 

down. I just hope we get north the right 

way! 

Good luck with that, Albert. We hope you 

will come back to see the brass band 

playing once its finished. 

The arrival of the bandstand from Lost Art 

11

Simon Walters’ 

vision for the 

future 

Simon is Strategic Director for Communities and Environment at 

the City of Lincoln Council. 

Hi Simon thank you for giving some 

time to the Beacon. Could you tell us 

a bit about Vision 2020? 

Vision 2020 is the City Council’s key plan 

of what we will strive to achieve over 

the next 3 years. It is a commitment 

to the people of Lincoln to work with 

partners to deliver a range of schemes. 

It’s difficult to summarise here as there are 

so many aspects but at its heart are four 

key elements – more jobs, more better 

quality homes, reducing inequality and 

enhancing our remarkable city. Please 

take a look at: www.lincoln.gov.uk/ 

vision2020 

How do you see parks and green 

spaces developing in Lincoln’s 

future? 

They are absolutely vital. The City has such 

a rich and varied array of green spaces 

and we are passionate about growing the 

city in a way that preserves and enhances 

our parks and important open spaces. The 

physical and mental health benefits for 

people using these spaces is well proven. 

We have renovated The Arboretum in the 

past, now we are transforming Boultham 

Park and next our attention will turn to the 

lake. After that we will be looking at what 

we can do at Hartsholme Park in the years 

ahead. 


What aspects of the park project are 

you most impressed with? 

There are so many aspects of the project 

that are to be celebrated it’s a difficult 

question! I have to say the pictures I saw 

of the bandstand being restored off site 

look incredible. The craftsmanship and 

care that has gone into giving this centre 

piece of the park a new lease of life is 

something to celebrate. I can’t wait to 

see it finished alongside the opening 

of a great café, education centre and 

greenhouse. 

With groups like Parkrun being so 

successful what measures will the 

council take to assist further positive 

park use and growth? 

Parkrun is a great example of getting 

more people active and I would 

encourage all taking part to become 

involved in other activities within Boultham 

Park – be they leisure activities or helping 

to keep the park looking great. The 

council will shortly be launching a revised 

volunteering scheme to make it even 

easier for people to get involved, and the 

programme of events in Boultham Park 

is a great example of how we can bring 

people into the park 

The project has seen many ups and 

downs. How do you stay positive in 

times of difficulty? 

I am lucky as I have become part the 

project during the exciting building 

stage. I am aware of the previous ups 

and downs. The key is having a very 

good project team, all passionate about 

delivering the project and to have a very 

clear vision of what the scheme will look 

like when its completed and how it will 

benefit the local community. This keeps us 

all on the project team motivated to work 

through the difficulties that any project of 

this nature typically has. 

Can you summarise your aspirations 

in a nutshell? 

Making the most of our parks, commons 

and recreation areas so we can all get 

out there to experience the natural world 

first hand and by getting active become 

healthier as well! 

That’s great Simon and thank you for 

your time and best wishes with future 

projects. 

Where are you from and did you go 

to local parks as a child? 

I moved to the city with the rest of my 

family when I was 12 years old and have 

stayed in this amazing city ever since 

(36 years and counting). It’s a wonderful 

place to live and I have raised my own 

family here too. When I was young I spent 

a lot of time in Hartsholme Country Park 

and still do - most weekends walking my 

dogs there. 


13

VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS 

Lincoln 

Conservation Group 

On a sunny day in March we 

were happy to host the Lincoln 

Conservation Group for a day of 

sprucing up. 

Nine members, led by Julian Bartrup, got 

to grips on a whole host of tasks, making a 

visible difference for everyone to see. 

The happy helpers started the day with a 

brief overview of the project and its goals, 

then set straight to tidying up around the 

volunteer base camp. The containers had 

weeds and debris around them which 

was sorted out in a flash and after a social 

cup of tea the group headed off to start 

on the bridges. 

Half of the team tidied up around the 

arch bridge - sweeping, cleaning and 

painting the bollards with an undercoat of 

red oxide and later on a swish lick of park 

green paint. 

from the concrete bases and remove 

intrusive plant growth from the east side. 

After a well deserved lunch spades were 

set flying on pathways to clear edges. 

The group (above) were really friendly 

and efficient. They meet twice monthly to 

socialise and make a difference to natural 

sites around Lincolnshire. A huge thank 

you to the team. For more details visit 

www.lincolnconservationgroup.org.uk. 

Team two tackled the Russell Street iron 

bridge to remove all the moss and weeds 

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch with Neville Coupland, 

Project Assistant - neville.coupland@linkage.org.uk or 07834 335669. 

Park tidy ups 

A 

number of volunteers spent their 

weekends tidying up Boultham 

Park as part of the site’s restoration 

project and in conjunction with 

Keep Britain Tidy campaigns. 

The volunteers, which included members 

from the 13th Lincoln Scouts, came 

together in January for the Big Tidy Up 

and in March for the Great British Spring 

Clean, to pick up litter and generally tidy 

up the much-loved park. 

The groups collected over 70 bags of litter 

plus a rogue tyre. Caroline, Community 

Development Worker, said: “Twenty-two 

wonderful members of the community 

turned out in January and nearly thirty in 

March. We also swept paths and cleared 

the fountain of fallen twigs.” 

Thanks to everyone who has helped so far. 

Due to its huge success there will be litter 

picks every two months. Let us know if you 

would like to help out at the next one in 

July! 


VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS • VOLUNTEERS 

Volunteering skill up 

Parks are always in need of some TLC and local people can really make 

a difference. 

A previous Linkage student has recently dedicated 

some of his time to tidying up Boultham Park. Nick 

(pictured left) spends an afternoon a week on a variety 

of tasks, from clearing the weir area around the lake, 

to sweeping and clearing paths and fencing. In return 

Nick has built his confidence and developed skills. 

Volunteering is not a one way street, you can gain a lot. 

The Park’s Advisory Group Chairman and active 

volunteer John Pye showed Nick how to install concrete 

posts which were being installed in the memorial 

garden. Mixing concrete and digging out the 

foundations was a new and exciting experience for Nick 

and he picked up the idea quickly. 

John commented, “I was very impressed with Nick’s effort and commitment, always 

putting in a lot of effort and energy.” Thank you for all your help Nick! 

big thank you to Martin Bavin and the 

A Toc H group from Barton (toch-uk.org.uk), 

shown left, who prepared and undercoated 

the volunteer containers. 

A sunny Saturday helped smooth the job 

along and Josh, a regular volunteer, also 

backed up the team. 

Increased range 

of audience 

The 13th Lincoln scouts with their tools 

Local families and friends 

volunteering and having fun 


15

Sponsor a stone for £10 

Please help us return the fountain garden at 

Boultham Park to its former glory. 

Make a donation by: 

Texting BPRK72 £10 to 70070 

Help us restore Boultham Park 

Other ways to donate: 

JustGiving: www.justgiving.com/Boultham-Park 

Email: fundraising@linkage.org.uk 

Linkage, Toynton Hall, Toynton All Saints, 

Spilsby, PE23 5AE 

Are you cheery - friendly - helpful - reliable - good with numbers - organised? 

Interested in sports? (This one isn’t essential but it’s useful!) 

Boultham Park 

Summer Games 

27th May - 10th September 2017 

What we can offer you: 

basic retail experience - something positive to do over the summer - travel expenses 

the chance to meet new people - references for jobs / CVs - supportive team coordinators 

a regular timeslot to suit your own commitments (where possible) 

For more information CONTACT: 

Caroline Wallis 

Community Development Worker 

07436 539936 - caroline.wallis@linkage.org.uk 


PLAY PARK 

Wordsearch 

Can you find these park related words? 

They might appear forwards, backwards, 

up, down or diagonally 

Dot to Dot 

BATS 

BIRD BOX 

BUTTERFLY 

DAFFODILS 

DUCKS 

GEESE 

GRASS 

LAKE 

PIKE 

POPLAR 

RIVER WITHAM 

SQUIRRELS 

SWANS 

TREES 

WOODLAND 

Spot the difference 

There are SIX differences in these pictures. Can you spot them? 

Solutions on page 19 


17

BOULTHAM 

PARK 

HERITAGE 

A fictional depiction using 

historical information by 

volunteer Chris Tutty 

1909 - Lt. Colonel Richard Ellison 

looked out over the misty 

grasslands of his estate. 

Lincoln was small as cities went, but 

despite its relative size and the closeknit 

community, it had its share of grand, 

secluded areas where one could enjoy 

their privacy, albeit more so when 

one was as fortunate as him. Almost 

eight decades had passed since the 

acquisition of the Boultham Park estate 

by his ancestor Richard Ellison III, but what 

fascinated him more than the history 

of the estate were the possibilities for its 

future. 

A sizeable portion of the grounds 

had long since been excavated and 

converted into the lake he saw before 

him, and visions flitted through his mind’seye 

of the parties and community events 

that had been thrown here over the years. 

What would happen, he mused, if the 

grounds were opened permanently to 

the public? Of course, his estate would 

have to have been vacated, but then, he 

knew, ownership only lasted as long as the 

owner. What could become of this scenic 

place? 

convalesce; after all, his time in the armed 

forces left him as aware as it was possible 

to be of the awful consequences of war. 

New military technology, known as ‘tanks’, 

were going into production, and what a 

space for their construction his land could 

provide! 

What would happen if the 

grounds were opened 

permanently to the public? 

What else could become of the estate? 

He imagined an annual fair, stalls and 

live music. He imagined great crowds of 

families, young and old, filling the grounds, 

the sights and sounds of nature available 

to the whole community. When such 

events were not on, when the grounds 

were otherwise free, any number of 

people might be able to enjoy the trees, 

plants, the lake and other scenery. Paths 

could be laid to allow different routes and 

thoroughfares, a more expedient way 

for people to pass through the Boultham 

community. 

The estate long owned by generations 

of his family, he thought, could benefit 

the whole of the community. Little did he 

know, a century later, that these things 

and more besides would come to pass. 

For as long as the house itself stood, he 

marvelled at the uses it could be put 

to. He pictured it being used to help 

his injured fellow military personnel 

Telling the story of 

our rich heritage 


Lifelong 

dedication 

After 45 years of loyal service in Boultham 

Park, grounds keeper Rob Appleyard 

is hanging up his shears for a well-earned 

retirement. 

Rob started working in Boultham Park in 1972 in the 

original glass house where flowers and plants were 

cultivated for the park as well as around the city. 

In 2012 he was awarded a commendation from the 

City of Lincoln Council for dedicated service of 40 

years. People know and love Rob as a part of the 

park’ s recent history and he has always been there 

to look after things and liaise with members of the 

public. He has been a solid asset in the day to day 

operation of the park for many years. 

The stunning quality of the lawn tennis courts, 

bowling greens and putting pitch is always commented upon 

by park visitors. Rob’s longevity and knowledge has enabled 

him to master the art of circular grass trimming which is second 

to none. 

In April he was presented with gifts and an ornamental cherry 

tree at a special ceremony in the park where a large variety of 

wellwishers attended to celebrate his outstanding career. Rob is 

commended on his efforts and dedication in service to one of 

Lincoln’s finest parks. 

Rob has been a lifelong loyal fan of Lincoln City Football Club so 

it is auspicious that he retires this year in time to watch them return 

to Division 2 at his leisure. 

Thank you Rob and enjoy putting your feet up! 

Celebrating our 

successes 

Play park solutions (from page 17) 

Dot to dot 

Wordsearch 

Spot the difference 


19

From the archaeology under our feet to the 

historic parks we love, from precious memories 

to rare wildlife. 

The Heritage Lottery Fund use money 

raised by National Lottery players to 

help people across the UK explore, 

enjoy and protect the heritage they 

care about. 

• Largest dedicated funder of heritage in the UK 

• Leading advocate for the value of heritage 

• £7.1billion awarded to over 40,000 projects since 1994 

• Offices across the UK 

• Grants from £3,000 

Pictured above: a craftsman from the Lost Art workshop working on part of the park bandstand (page 10) 

Linkage Community Trust is a Registered Charity (No. 504913) and Company Limited by Guarantee (No. 01240377) 

The Boultham Park Restoration Project is supported by a £2.7million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big 

Lottery Fund ‘Parks for People’ initiative, alongside the capital appeal and many other valued contributions.

Beacon Summer 2017

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