THIS DAY TRIP FROM BRIGG IS A MUST FOR SPORTS FANS

One of Brigg Blog's most enjoyable days out during 2016 came in the summer when we undertook quite a trek so we could watch Lincolnshire playing a Minor Counties cricket match.
This involved the new Call Connect bus service which had just been introduced to the Brigg area, a TransPennine train from Barnetby to Cleethorpes station (pictured above) and a long walk down the seafront to the resort's impressive Chichester Road ground.
It proved to be one of the hottest days of the year, meaning we had to take plenty of fluids onboard in the bar at the ground!
Lincolnshire's Minor Counties team is now making plans for the 2017 season and has kindly supplied Brigg Blog with full details. 
The most important fact for local sports fans is that Lincs will be playing another home match at Cleethorpes, over three days, in August.

FROM CHRIS KEYWOOD, LINCOLNSHIRE CCC

The Annual Meeting of the Lincolnshire County Cricket Club has re-elected the following officers for the coming season. The Chairman is the former Hartsholme player, Chris Keywood, the President is the former Bucyrus and Hartsholme player, John Van-der-Vord, and the Chief Executive is Chris Farmer, the former Chief Executive of South Kesteven District Council, whose role embraces the secretarial and financial duties for the Club. Mark Fell continues as Director of Cricket and, following the retirement of last season’s captain David Lucas, the captaincy will be in the hands of Carl Wilson of Bourne CC, last year’s vice-captain.
The new season is getting closer as the Club has now received the 2017 fixtures. The Unicorns KO Trophy starts on 30 April with a home fixture against Cambridgeshire at Grantham. Lincs then travel to Penrith on 7 May to face Cumberland before hosting Norfolk at Bracebridge Heath on 14 May. The final round-robin match is another trip north to play Northumberland at Jesmond on 21 May.
Lincolnshire were the winners of the Eastern Division Championship in 2016 and they commence their defence of the title with an away fixture against Cambridgeshire at Saffron Walden from 4-6 June. Staffordshire are the opposition at the first home game from 18-20 June at Sleaford. This is followed by another home match at Grantham against Buckinghamshire from 2-4 July, and a trip to Bedford School to face Bedfordshire from 16-18 July. There is an away match at Jesmond from 30 July to 1 August against Northumberland before Lincolnshire host Hertfordshire at Cleethorpes in their final Eastern Division match of the season from 13-15 August.
Further additions are expected to be made to the playing squad and an exciting season is anticipated. The Officers and Committee of the Club look forward to welcoming supporters at the matches during the season. Further information is available at: www.lincolnshireccc.play-cricket.com

NF ADDS: The match in Cleethorpes will be played on a Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Sadly, Brigg only sees passenger trains on Saturdays, which means that to get to the cricket we will again have to find transport to Barnetby to catch a TransPennine Manchester-Sheffield-Cleethorpes train which uses the line through Scunthorpe, rather than the alternative route through Brigg.

Lincolnshire playing last summer at Cleethorpes Cricket Club, which is located near the seafront

Many Brigg Blog followers of a certain age will recall enjoying day trips to Cleethorpes during the 1950s and 1960s when our town's station enjoyed a frequent service. What delights the resort held for youngsters! They included a trip to Wonderland, where rides could be enjoyed on a miniature railway operated by real steam locos. Cleethorpes station used to be packed with excursion trains from Yorkshire towns and cities. They were made up of carriages pulled by an engine, rather than today when diesel units prevail.