This coming weekend, Egg Box Theatre will be performing at Pinchbeck Church Hall in Spalding for the Our Lincolnshire project.
The performance is free, so if you live in the South Holland area why not come and join them? They’ll be exploring heritage and what it means to people in this part of Lincolnshire.
One of the richest sources for Lincolnshire history and heritage online has to be on the group pages that can be found on Facebook.
There are so many interesting pages dedicated to places all over Lincolnshire, some which focus on specific villages or Lincolnshire’s historic towns, some provide pages to share memories and stories, and others are dedicated to old photos.
The pages are popular, and filled with enthusiasm for knowing and sharing more about the past in relation to Lincolnshire.
‘Our Lincolnshire’ is on Facebook, and we’ve found it really interesting sharing in the many stories and memories of Lincolnshire that are posted there.
Here are a few groups we’ve come across:
These are public groups, but there are many more closed groups out there, which you can request to join. Many of these relate to specific places or areas, and some are about themes that reflect Lincolnshire heritage more widely, like aviation history.
If you belong to a Lincolnshire group on Facebook, please do share a link to Our Lincolnshire, and tell other members in the group how they can tell us their views on heritage through our survey.
The ‘Our Lincolnshire’ heritage survey is available in paper format at libraries across Lincolnshire and in the Lincoln Archives.
If you, or someone you know, prefers filling out a paper form, call in to your local library for a copy.
Completed forms can be returned to the libraries, where they will be sent back to the Our Lincolnshire project team. We’d like to say a big thank you to the library staff who have offered to help make the paper questionnaires available.
If you know of a community group or organisation who would like to have a set of paper copies to fill out contact Anna Scott.
The survey is open to all ages and is available in three formats: for the over 18s, for 11-17 year olds, and for the under 11s – we’d be keen to hear from youth groups for example who may not have internet access for their sessions but who would still like to take part.
The online form is also available – there’s still time to give us your thoughts on heritage in Lincolnshire, and what heritage is important to you.
Recently I wrote about the rather unusual spectacle of Clown Cricket in Lincolnshire back in the mid-19th century. It might surprise you to know that there are instances of cricket being played in far stranger circumstances than this. Here’s three examples…
1. Broomstick Cricket
In 1874 the Lincoln Cricket Club held a game between the first eleven and second eleven in which, while the seconds could use normal cricket bats, the first eleven played out their innings using broomsticks. The idea, presumably, was to “even the playing field” and make it a fairer contest. A contemporary newspaper report suggests that the match “caused considerable amusement among the spectators”…although presumably the Lincoln second eleven weren’t so amused, as they made only 40 runs in reply to the “Broomsticks’” 135!
2. One-Armed v One-Legged Men
In 1863 the Stamford Mercury reported that: “A two days’ match was played last week in Kennington Oval between eleven one-armed and eleven one-legged men. The play was witnessed by some 3,000 persons, and after a number of ups and downs, which afforded a vast amount of amusement to the spectators, the game terminated in favour of the one-legged eleven.”
3. Cricket On The Ice
In his memoirs of sport in Grimsby, Bob Lincoln recalled one match which took place during the severe winter of 1878-9 – hardly cricket weather or cricket season, but they didn’t let that stop them!
“During the severe winter 1878-9 skating was naturally the order of the day, and it suddenly occurred to me that a novelty in the shape of a cricket match on skates would be an attraction, and with this idea in view arrangements were made for one to be played on the pond in the West Marsh, which is now a portion of the Alexandra Dock, for the benefit of the Grimsby and District Hospital.”
Sadly the weather didn’t last quite as long as Bob and his friends were evidently expecting:
“Unfortunately on the eve of the match a decided thaw set in, with the result that not only was the attendance materially affected, but there was also about one inch of water on the ice. This doubtless caused any amount of fun, but was decidedly unpleasant for those unfortunates who were the unwilling cause of it.”
Nonetheless the match did make a decided profit for the Grimsby club, as 3000 spectators turned up to watch (and were presumably amused by what they saw!)
Has your club ever played a match under unusual circumstances? Get in touch and let us know!
Today is International Women’s Day and to celebrate, we’d like to share this wonderful photo compilation video made by Pete Sawyer for Old Lincolnshire Rural Photos. In it, you can see photographs of women working in the fields throughout the county, and a display of the kinds of agricultural skills that were passed down from mother to daughter.
