BRIGG BLOG'S REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2019 - PART ONE

Brigg can look back on many positives in 2019 and some memorable events and achievements - featured here in Brigg Blog's Review of the Year - Part One, covering the period from January to late July. 
We've added links in bold to take you to our initial posts; click on them to view further details on each topic.
Our Blog has covered a very wide range of topics, averaging well over 100 monthly posts between January and December.
We try to be positive and make no apologies for that. But there are occasions when we have to report things that might be seen as  negative. Not everything runs perfectly all the time!
On the plus side, one post which created particular interest, and gave us pride, related to war-time Prime Minister Winston Churchill who stayed a night in Brigg at the Exchange in 1944. We were invited down by current owner Joe Mullen and shown the room the great statesman occupied and the actual bed he slept in - still there today.
We described the 18th century Exchange building as a time capsule, having been given a guided tour of the building's various floors by Joe, including the dizzy heights of the roof!
A notable milestone was marked in late June - the 200th anniversary of the Buttercross building in the Market Place - with a celebration evening being enjoyed on the top floor.
However, 2019 began in sad style and had some of us crying into our beer, with the closure of the Bargain Booze off-licence on Springs Parade. Thankfully, this empty property would be given a new lease of life as a charity shop by Jerry Green Dog Rescue later in the year.
In JANUARY we were pleased to inform our followers that planning permission had been granted for a new Aldi store to be built off Bridge Street.
FEBRUARY saw Brigg Blog reveal details of the town's first pizzeria, by then already taking shape in the Market Place.
In MARCH we revealed that a local player who once played alongside future England star Kevin Keegan for Scunthorpe United had signed on, aged 69, with a Brigg team for his 55th season in local football.

In APRIL we reported the opening of a new cycle shop within Brians DIY in the town centre.
MAY saw voters go to the polls in elections for the Town Council and North Lincolnshire Council. The number of councillors on the town authority was reduced from 19 to nine, following a governance review. Coun Sharon Riggall was then inducted as Mayor at the Town Council's annual meeting.
In JUNE, Brigg commemorated the 75th anniversary of the vital D-Day landings in 1944 with a purpose-built wooden landing craft being erected on a raised flowerbed near the A18. The Britannia Inn laid on 'ration fare' including spam and corned beef sandwiches, and the war-time theme was taken up by some other businesses in the town centre.
JULY saw Brigg residents endure a heatwave - the highest temperature recorded by us being 33C (91.4F) while sipping a cooling pint or three in the Britannia beer garden.
Warm weather proved ideal for Brigg Bike Night 2019 - organised from the Yarborough Hunt pub - which attracted a really big crowd to the town centre.
Brigg's Curate, the Rev Trudy Hobson, left town to take charge of her own parish in Wiltshire.
Part  Two of our view of the year, covering the months August to December, will be posted early tomorrow - December 31.
PICTURED ABOVE: A bird's eye view of Brigg town centre by Neil Stapleton.  Click here to view more of his images.