SPRINGBANK EXTENSION PLANNED IN BRIGG

Planning permission to erect a two-storey extension at  16 Springbank, Brigg, is being sought from North Lincolnshire Council.

UPDATE ON BRIGG RECREATION GROUND REVAMP

Coun Carl Sherwood hopes plans for the future development of Brigg Recreation Ground will be submitted in July, while refurbishment work at the Ancholme Leisure Centre should also be completed during that month. His cabinet role at North Lincolnshire Council includes overseeing sport and leisure.

VIEW BRIGG STATION 25 YEARS AGO

Brigg Blog is reliably informed that someone has uploaded a train "cab ride" from 1989 onto You Tube which shows Brigg station around the 1hr 22m mark. Back then the former stationmaster's house was still standing. Patient souls wishing to take a trip back in time can use this link to take a look

CROSSING THE A18 IN BRIGG NEAR THE POLICE STATION

Coun Ann Eardley this week passed on a complaint suggesting pedestrians crossing the A18 by using the Pelican on Barnard Avenue, near the Cary Lane junction,  have insufficient time to get across before the sequence of lights changes. 
Couns Rob Waltham and Carl Sherwood, who are members of the highway authority, North Lincolnshire Council, as well as being town councillors, took note, and Rob said it would be looked into.

SEE BRIGG ON THE TELLY

Adverts to promote Brigg as a shopping destination to a regional audience are now showing four times a day on Estuary TV, Coun Sheila Boughey told fellow town councillors at their monthly meeting in the Angel Suite. 
Sheila attends meetings of the Brigg Town Business Partnership, which has approved the ads.

BRIGG CARE HOME REOPENS AND PLANS OPEN DAYS

The Clarence House care home in Brigg has reopened after being closed for some time and will be holding open days on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, from 10am to 4pm, when drinks and canapes will be served. You don't need to book.
What's now the Clarence House Care Centre, in Albert Street (near New Street) is part of the Halcyon Care Group and has 29 single rooms with en suite facilities. 
Find out more by calling 01652 650950, emailing clarencehouse@halcyoncare.co.uk or visiting www.halycyoncare.co.uk

SOLITARY PUBLIC PRESENCE AT BRIGG TOWN COUNCIL'S APRIL MEETING

Just one member of the public turned up at last night's monthly meeting of Brigg Town Council in the Angel Suite and he hails from Wrawby and didn't raise any issues during Public Question Time.  
Brigg Blog previewed the meeting to let folk know it was coming up and that here was a chance to put your point of view to elected representatives.

ADDING A TOUCH OF COLOUR TO BRIGG TOWN CENTRE

Brigg Town Council will provide colourful bunting above town centre streets from May to September.
At the suggestion of Coun Mike Campion, contingency arrangements are now in place to renew any bunting that suffers weather damage between now and the autumn. This will address an issue that's arisen in the past. 
There will be a good number of events in the town centre during the warmer months and the bunting will help to add a bit of colour to proceedings.

BRIGG FOLK CAN ENJOY VIBE RHYTHM & AQUAVIBE SESSIONS

A unique type of group fitness classes called VibeFit is being launched exclusively across North Lincolnshire Council’s leisure centres today, Monday, April 28.
VibeFit is a programme of fitness classes choreographed to the latest music, and a new programme is launched every three months to keep the workouts exciting and to challenge your fitness levels.
Two fun and exciting fitness classes are being launched on 28 April and even more classes will be launched at your local leisure centres later this summer. The two classes being launched are:
VibeRhythm – feel the rhythm: A dance inspired aerobic workout, combining favourite moves from Zumba, Jam, street dance, salsa and many more. The routines are easy to learn, so why not challenge your fitness and have fun at the same time. 
MONDAYS 
Riddings Pool, Scunthorpe, from 6pm to 7pm 
Ancholme Leisure Centre, near Brigg, from 7pm to 8pm 


AquaVibe: Make a splash in this fun water workout inspired by Aqua Fit, dance and Aqua Zumba. The water provides resistance which is great for toning the body and burning calories, yet it is still low impact at the same time. 
TUESDAYS
Riddings Pool, Scunthorpe, from 1pm to 2pm 
Ancholme Leisure Centre, near Brigg, from 7pm to 8pm 

It is free for everyone to take part in all of the above classes during the launch week, Monday 28 April to Friday 2 May. Places are limited so make sure you don’t miss out and book your place. Non-members and non-booking card holders can book up to seven days in advance. Each class will then cost £4.70 per hour or it will be inclusive if you have a health and fitness membership. 
To book your place on any of the classes ring your local leisure centre. For more details about your local leisure centres and to find out more take a look at the council’s website: 
www.northlincs.gov.uk/leisure/leisure-centres/

Coun Carl Sherwood (Brigg & Wolds), cabinet member for customer services, sport and leisure, said:  
“This is exciting news for all of our leisure centres. These fun fitness classes have been created and choreographed exclusively for North Lincolnshire Council’s leisure centres. 
“We wanted to develop the fitness classes on offer across all of our leisure centres and what better way of doing it then creating our own unique programme of classes.
“VibeFit is going to bring a new lease of life into our leisure centres and I am positive everyone will want to be getting involved. VibeFit classes are a great way of keeping fit. Look out for even more classes being launched in the summer. There is going to be something for everyone.”

PLANNING THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF BRIGG

North Lincolnshire Council is inviting you to have a say on the proposals for the future growth and development of North Lincolnshire during a six week public consultation starting on Friday 25 April 2014. And there's a chance to learn more at an event in Brigg.

The proposals are set out in the Housing & Employment Land Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD). This document is an important part of the overall planning blueprint for the area called the Local Development Framework.
The DPD sets out where new homes, jobs and businesses will be located across North Lincolnshire. This will be done by identifying specific sites for these and include community development limits to show where development will be allowed. 
This final version of the DPD is a result of a number of years of work that include three consultation periods with local communities, statutory bodies and those with an interest in the future growth and development of the area.
This consultation is the last chance for you to have your say before the document is sent the Government to be scrutinized by a Planning Inspector at an independent examination.
The council needs your views on the reliability of the document and your thoughts on it as a whole. Do you think the proposals will work? Do you agree with the specified sites?
The DPD can be viewed online at: www.northlincs.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/planning-policy/local-dev-framework/housing-employment-land-allocations/, at the Civic Centre in Scunthorpe and at your nearest local link or library.
To comment on the proposals set out in the DPD complete the online consultation at: www.northlincs.gov.uk/your-council/have-your-say/consultations-and-petitions/consultations/current-consultations/ . Alternatively you can collect a form from the Civic Centre or your nearest local link or library to comment on the plan. You can send completed forms to  Spatial Planning, Civic Centre, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1AB or you can email comments to spatial.planning@northlincs.gov.uk.
A guide will be provided with the form to help you make comments.
The consultation period for you to have your say is from 25 April to 6 June 2014. All comments need to be made by 4.30pm on the final day.
During the six week period, North Lincolnshire Council  will be holding a number of events where anyone can drop in a look at the proposals for their areas, including:

• Thursday, May 8 at  The Angel Suite, Brigg, from noon to 7pm

Following the consultation, the council will send all the comments and other important background material and evidence to the Government for independent examination. This is likely to take place in summer 2014. The independent examination is expected to take place in late 2014, with final adoption summer 2015.
The document will then form part of the development plan for North Lincolnshire and will be used in taking planning decisions on planning applications.
For more details about the Local Development Framework visit the council’s website: www.northlincs.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/planning-policy/local-dev-framework/, call 01724 297573/297570 or email spatial.planning@northlincs.gov.uk.
Coun  Liz Redfern , Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said: “It’s really important that all residents have the chance to have their say on this crucial document - and this is the last chance before it is sent to Government. This document is part of the Local Development Framework and will help transform North Lincolnshire over the next 12 years.
“It is imperative that sufficient housing and employment land is allocated to assist in the transformation of North Lincolnshire’s economy. This is exactly what the DPD does. It also looks at development limits that are important to all of our local communities, regardless of their size.
“I urge everyone interested in North Lincolnshire’s future to get involved and share your comments."

BRIGG TOWN FC IN COUNTY FINAL AT LINCOLN

Brigg Town FC take on Stamford in the Lincolnshire Senior Football Trophy final tomorrow (Tuesday, April 29) at Lincoln City's Sincil Bank ground (7.45 KO).

BRIGG EVENTS: FOLK MUSIC AT WHITE HORSE PUB & BLESSING OF THE PUMPS

Brigg Town Business Partnership started its new programme with a fashion show last week, and the following forthcoming events will be of interest to Brigg Blog followers: 

Traditional Celebration Weekend: Friday, 6th June 2014 

7.30pm - 11pm: Folk Music at the White Horse Pub, Wrawby Street, Brigg.
Come along and listen or take part with local folk musicians playing or singing folk music.  Entry £2.00 - all performers are FREE.  Tickets available from Climatise, 1 - 3 Bigby Street, Brigg, tele:01652 601753. FREE Parking all day Saturday.

Blessing of the Pumps: Saturday 7th June 10.00am - 3.00pm
The music starts in the Market Place in Brigg from 10.00am leading to the traditional blessing of the pumps at 11.30am The old town water pumps will be dressed with flowers.  The first pump will be dressed in Brownie colours  to celebrate the 100 anniversary of the Brownies and the other to commemorate the First World War.  A spectacle that must be seen with Morris Dancing from local music groups and music from The Old Time String Band accompanying the Pump Blessing.  The Brownies will be part of the procession acting as Flower Girls.
FREE parking all day Saturday.
7.15pm - 11pm the Ceilidh band, Brassy Sharman's Fancy will be playing at St Mary's Church Hall, Barnard Avenue, Brigg.  Bring your own food and drink. Tickets £6.00 available from Climatise, 1 - 3, Bigby Street, Brigg, tele: 01652 601753
 

PUBLIC QUESTIONS WELCOME AT BRIGG TOWN COUNCIL MEETING TOMORROW

Brigg Town Council's monthly meetings always include Public Question Time - an opportunity for members of the community to go along and raise issues with their elected representatives.
April's meeting is tomorrow night (Monday, April 28) in the Angel Suite, starting at 7.30pm. 
You are welcome to go along and put questions, or just listed to the debates at the meeting.
Items to be considered tomorrow night include progress on the Neighbourhood Plan for Brigg, the Millennium Green on Elwes Street and display of bunting in the town centre from May to September.
Meetings are held in the Angel Suite. If you are going along, entry to the building at night is through the Rotunda (conservatory-like building) adjoining the rear car park.
Prior to the monthly council meeting there's one involving the Planning and Environment Committee, starting at 7pm. Items on the agenda include the annual spring clean and removal of litter from the River Ancholme.

BEERS ON OFFER AT BRIGG BEER FESTIVAL

BY  FIONA REID, BRIGG DISTRICT LIONS' SECRETARY & P.R. OFFICER

Final preparations are underway for this year’s annual Brigg beer festival which will be held from 15 to 17 May inclusive on Atherton Way.  This year will mark the 25^th anniversary of the event which is run by Brigg District Lions.  

Planning for the event begins in January to ensure all is in place for the event in May.  The event requires sponsorship from local business and all funds raised are returned into the local community for worthy causes.  The doors will be open Thursday and Friday, 7pm to 11pm and Saturday 12 noon until 11pm.  

Entry will be £2 per person, commemorative glasses will be £1.50 (50p refundable) and beer will be £1.80 per half pint.  

We will be offering a wide range of beers from around the UK which are not routinely available locally.  The provisional list of beers appears below.

 We will also have a range of ciders, wines and fruit beer available as well as soft drinks for those who don’t drink beer or are unfortunate enough to have to drive. 

The event is well known amongst people in and around Brigg and sees regular customers as well as new ones every year.  I am regularly asked by local people when is this year’s beer festival.

Further information can be found on the Brigg District Lions, Social media pages as well as their website. 

Brewery	Beer	Strength %	Description
Oldershaws Brewery Lincolnshire	Granthan Dark	3.60	Charcoal black smooth, traditional mild. Fruity with solid malt base
Batemans	Black & White	3.60	Dark ,rich, creamy brimming with fruity flavours & nutty overtones. Full bodied beer.
Whale Ale Ltd	Pale Ale	3.60	Very pale in colour with hints of lemon-grass & honey with a wonderful, dry, citrus, hoppy taste.
Wells Youngs	Bitter	3.70	This light drinking amber bitter has citrus initially on the palate, with sweet malt & a hint of hops that linger into a slightly dry & bitter finish.
Batemans	XB	3.70	A well rounded, smooth malty beer with a blackcurrant fruity background.
Ilkley	Black	3.70	A blend of five malts gives a smooth, easy to drink, dark session ale.
Langman East Sussex	Long Blonde	3.80	Light coloured golden ale with a distinctive hoppy aroma & crisp, clean bitterness on the finish.
Oldershaws Brewery Lincolnshire	Heavenly Blonde	3.80	Pale blonde-zesty super tropical fruit from the citra hop. Crisp dry finish.
Backyard	Joker	3.80	April fools day special – biscuit malt with a citrus kick.
North Star	Sentinel	3.80	Very pale, fully hopped. American style craft ale with citrus undertones.
Backyard Walsall	The Hoard	3.90	Golden bitter, refreshingly dry with a balanced biscuit malt flavour.
Wells Youngs	London Gold	4.00	A light, golden & full flavoured beer with a refreshing bite.
Grafton	Ferris Wheel	4.00	A pale  ale with crisp bitterness, refreshing tartness & sweeter malt notes, finishing with a soft hoppiness.
Wells Youngs	Bombardier Burning Gold	4.10	A precious blend of finest malts, hops & natural mineral water. Producing a refreshing beer with zesty aromas, leading to a dry, crisp flavour with a hint of citrus & a smooth lasting finish.
Titanic Stoke on Trent	Iceberg	4.10	A refreshing clear wheat beer with clean, zesty flavours.
Oldershaws Brewery Lincolnshire	Great Expectations	4.20	Gorgeous pale gold beer, zingy citrus rich Galaxy hops. SIBA silver medal. Winner 2013
Flipside	English Crown	4.20	A traditional  bitter made with English hops ‘Funggles’ & ‘Goldings’.A beer brewed for tradition.
Sonnet 43	Bourbon Milk Stout	4.30	Bourbon cocoa and outs give this dark brown beer a rich, full-bodied chocolately bitterness
Elland West Yorkshire	Nettle Thrasher	4.40	Traditional copper, strong ale, robust & complex flavours from six malts & combined with a variety of English hops.
Sonnet 43 County Durham	India Pale Ale	4.40	A complex aroma using, Goldings hops. Delicate fruity flavour. A very palatable slightly  bitter drink.
Dancing Duck	Dark Drake	4.50	Smooth drinking velvety, oat meal stout with freshly roasted coffee, toffee finish.
Titanic	Plum Porter	4.90	Dark, strong & well-rounded. The richness is balanced by the late edition of hops & natural plum flavouring.
Burton Bridge	Stairway to Heaven	5.00	A golden hoppy beer with a full smooth flavour using only the finest English hops.
Amber Ales	Dambuster	5.20	Powerfully flavoured golden ale with three hop varieties from , England, New Zealand  & U.S.A.
Dancing Duck	Abduction	5.50	Tropical fruit flavour with enjoyable hoppy bitterness. Good malt character & very clean finish.
Ossett	Silver King	4.30	A lager with a crisp, dry flavour & citrus fruity aroma.
Woodfordes	Craft  Norfolk Lager		?
Barngates	Tag Lag	4.40	Lager – A pale amber lager, smooth & sweetly malty flavour.
Westons	Old Rosie	7.30	Mid- golden & straw like in colour. Old Rosie is a cloudy, medium – bodied fruity cider that has a wonderful aroma of wild berry- fruits.
Broadoak	Moonshine	7.50	A clear coloured cider strong in alcohol & fruity with an apple flavour & is sweet on the palate.

BRIGG BRONZE-AGED BOATS

Taken before the talk beside the Brigg 'raft' in Brigg's Heritage Centre, Dr Kevin Leahy - David Rose, Chair CPRE (Local Branch) - Cllr Jane Kitching, CPRE member & BTBP - Malcolm Bailey, BTBP Chair.  

REPORT & PICTURE BY KEN HARRISON

Coming to national prominence as an expert on the Staffordshire Saxon Hoard and one-time curator of Scunthorpe Museum, Broughton resident and archeologist , Dr Kevin Leahy offered a talk on the life and times of the Brigg's Bronze-aged boats - the Brigg Longboat and the Brigg 'raft'.  His talk also made reference to the known, but under-investigated massive Bronze-Age plankway, - partly exposed in 1886 and 1933 - crossing the Ancholme Vale's 'pinch-point' near Brigg.

Dr Leahy's talk was sponsored by the North Linc's branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) and which is a member of Brigg Town Business Partnership (BTBP) group.

The talk was held in the lecture rooms of the Brigg  Heritage Centre in the the Angel and, in itself, represented the first of such projects that the Heritage Centre wishes to promote in the future.

Those attending had the additional opportunities of viewing the Brigg 'raft' in the Centre and, separately, following a short guided tour demonstrating the sites of Bronze-Age finds and offering an insight of the environs about Brigg some 3 thousand years ago.

Following Dr Kevin Leahy's talk, members of the CPRE held their AGM.

The talk was extremely successful and followed Dr Leahy's well-attended talk on the Arthurian Legend at the Buttercross's refurbished public rooms a few weeks ago.

At that talk, Dr Leahy offered the hypothesis that Arthurian Legend originated in North Lincolnshire; the earliest references refer specifically to  'Lindsey' (now northern Lincolnshire) and descriptions of places and Arthurian battle-sites could  relate to such a post-Roman city of Lincoln  and even to places about the River Ancholme.  As a well-organised stronghold,  Dr Leahy, indicated that that there has been unusually very high concentrations of Celtic sword-belt buckle finds in the area, perhaps offering further evidence  that north Lincolnshire was the focus of the 'Arthurian' Celtic defence from the invading European tribes during the very early Middle Ages.

HOT-CROSS BUNS ENJOYED IN BRIGG AFTER WALK OF WITNESS

FROM COUN THE REV ALEC DEPLEDGE

Churches from Brigg and beyond were represented at the Good Friday walk of witness, which commenced on the Brigg Methodist Church car park with Scripture reading and prayer. A Cross, used in last years' Passion Play, was carried along Barnard Avenue to the pedestrian crossing adjacent to Horsefair Paddock. After further Bible Readings outside the White Horse, the Cross and Walkers processed along Wrawby Street to the Market Square, for a 30-minute service of hymns, affirmations of faith, prayers and Bible Readings, including a short homily, given by Revd Andrew Ballard, retired CoE minister, before adjourning to St John's Church hall for hot-cross buns & coffee.

BRIGG GOING TO THE POLLS BUT WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?

We were interested when a polling card arrived recently for voting in an election on Thursday, May 22.  Was it for a local council by-election? No,  this involves "Election of Members of the European Parliament for the Yorkshire and the Humber Region."
North Lincolnshire Council administers elections of all kinds and the Local Returning Officer has already sent out polling cards to Brigg people from Scunthorpe Civic Centre.
We've managed to glean: "The next election for North Lincolnshire is the European Parliamentary Elections on the 22 May, 2014. There are six European Members of Parliament to be elected for the Yorkshire and Humber region. The poll will take place between 7am and 10pm."
With just a month to go to polling, we can expect election literature through our letterboxes in the very near future. 

SCALY CREATURES SHOP COMING TO BRIGG

Refurbishing Petticoats' old shop in College Yard, Brigg, are Carl James and his business partner, Andy Feane. Andy anticipates that shop will be open for business in the near future . It will be called Scaly Creatures - and as the name suggests, it will be an emporium for exotic, mini-livestock, which have scales - fish, reptiles and snakes. Don't worry folks, spiders don't have scales!

"Once the shop is opened," added Carl, "it will take some time for the various tanks to acclimatise. Temperature needs to be around 75 degrees F.....and it will take a little more time before the shop is fully stocked with scaly creatures."

Both Carl - pictured here  outside the shop - and Andy hope to arrange their official opening once this initial period is completed.

REPORT AND PICTURE BY KEN HARRISON.