Sign: Turn Left At The Baker's

Every time I visit Louth I'm on the look out for strange signs. Here's one I spotted recently in the market hall:

“... Turn left at the baker's then right at the curry house... actually, there are lots of curry houses... anyway, on the left they've knocked down a house to create an alley. Go down there ...”

The signs are created by the artist Rupert Clamp who pretended to be lost. He asked for directions and created signs from the directions he was given. So far I've manage to find 5:

• Market Hall: Turn Left At The Baker's
• Jackpot Pottery: You Can Cut Through Here
• Vickers Lane: Go Onto The Main Street
• Eastgate Car Park: Basically, Carry on Round Here
• Burnt Hill Lane: Actually It's Just Up There

Sign: You Can Cut Through Here

I spotted another strange sign in Louth. This one was by Jackpot Pottery:

“... You can cut through here onto a greenway. Go right onto the old side, carry on up to the main road, keep on up till the lights, then left ...”

The artist Rupert Clamp pretended to be lost and asked for directions. He created these signs from the directions he was given.

Sunrise Through the Fog

The temperature dropped to -8°C in Boston last night causing the tidal Witham to freeze. This morning the sunrise can only just be seen through the fog near Boston Stump.

Sign: Down on the Other Side

Here's another strange sign I found in Louth, this one on Vickers Lane:

“... Go onto the main street. Right... go down, down, down on the other side of the road for a couple of minutes. You'll go past a couple of butchers' and a little tea shop, then turn right and it's just round the corner ...”

The sign is one of thirteen created by artist Rupert Clamp in 2007-2008. Rupert pretended to be lost and recorded the directions he was given.

Whitton's Wrapped Bread

“We Sell Whitton's Wrapped Bread”

A ghost sign on Lincoln High Street is a reminder of a shop long since gone...

Egg Throwing Championships

The small Lincolnshire village of Swaton hosted this year's World Egg Throwing Championships at yesterday's Swaton Vintage Day. At one point eggs were flying off in all directions, hitting spectators and splattering innocent bystanders :-)

The two man egg throw involved throwing an egg to a partner who had to catch it unbroken. The Guinness World Record of 98.51m was set by Johnny Dell Foley and Keith Thomas in November 1978 and remains unbroken.

Russian egg roulette presented the contestants with half-a-dozen eggs, 5 hard-boiled, 1 raw. The players took turns to select an egg and smash it over their head with inevitably messy results.

The most fascinating event used a variety of counterweight trebuchet. The weapons at today's show were build specifically to throw an egg from the sling. The accuracy needed a little work though - several eggs flew backwards into the crowd and the craft marquee! :-)

Altogether, we had a fantastic day and will definitely be back next year.

Basically, Carry on Round Here...

I spotted this strange sign on Eastgate in Louth:

“...Basically, carry on round here, it curves to the right (don't deviate), turn right down the side of the town hall (it's a typical Victorian looking town hall), then over the crossroads...”

It's one of thirteen signs created by artist Rupert Clamp for the Lost in Louth art project. Rupert pretended to be lost in Louth, asking for directions. He created the signs from the directions people gave him.

Wrangle Show

Over the past few years we've been regularly visiting Wrangle Show. The village show has been running since the 19th century. I wonder what the Victorians would make of today's attractions!

Despite the stunt show, acrobats and RAF flyover my favourite feature is always the fruit and veg competition. I keep promising myself I'll enter one year :-)

Boston Stump in the Snow

There was a fresh fall of snow overnight. Boston Stump was visible briefly before it disappeared into the mist :-)

The Clock at Belton House

The Blue Bedchamber

The bed in the blue bedchamber at Belton House is 18 feet high! :-)

The Orangery

Looking across the Italian Garden at Belton House towards the orangery and the church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

The Boat House

It's difficult to see how the boat house at Belton could have been used to store boats... The door is only a couple of feet wide.

Belton House from the East

Belton House viewed from the gardens to the east. The house has featured in a number of films and costume dramas. Do you recognise it from Pride and Prejudice? :-)

Tupholme Abbey

The picturesque ruins of 12^th century Tupholme Abbey stand in a Lincolnshire field waiting to be explored :-)

Abandoned...

An abandoned post-war control tower on the disused RAF Manby airfield in Lincolnshire.

Lightening Strike in Boston

This has to be my lucky shot of the year! The photo was taken at exactly the right moment to catch a lightening strike and was featured in the local paper :-)

Storm Clouds over Lincolnshire

After a fantastic weekend the storm clouds began to gather on Sunday evening. Here's the view to the west from Boston.

The One Handed Clock at Coningsby

Saint Michael's church in Coningsby has the largest single handed clock in the world. The clock face is 5 metres across and apparently the time can be read up to two miles away.

Actually It's Just Up There...

I spotted this strange sign on Burnt Hill Lane in Louth: ...Actually it's just up there - head up there and it's on your left-hand side, past the doctor's, across the car park...

It's one of thirteen signs created by artist Rupert Clamp for the Lost in Louth art project. Rupert pretended to be lost in Louth, asking for directions. He created the signs from the directions people gave him.