Lincolnshire

Following on from Great Yarmouth 2007 and Clacton 2008, this year's family holiday saw me head over to Skegness, a seaside resort that provided a great base for some Lincolnshire exploration...

Monday 18th May: the holiday atmosphere sets in as we make our way to Skegness. It's not a bad drive from the West Midlands, and we successfully negotiated the streets of Grantham and Boston en route. We arrive at Skeggy in the afternoon, locate our camp and I'm delighted to discover its about five minutes walk away from the town's bus and railway stations - excellent! Having settled in, its time for a walk around Skegness, sampling the delights of the seafront, amusement arcades and the town centre. There don't seem to be many pubs in the town, although we do find Wetherspoons The Red Lion for a nice pint of local Bateman's bitter.

Tuesday 19th May: the first full day of the holiday sees us explore more of the Skegness area. I begin with a photo session at the town stations, admiring the Stagecoach/Lincolnshire Roadcar fleet including some open top Metrobuses working the 3 to Ingoldmells. Other routes include the InterConnect services (6 to Lincoln and 7 to Boston), plus the local routes 1 (Chapel St Leonards), 9 (Mablethorpe) and 2 (Skegness Town). My visit to the railway station is equally enjoyable, getting shots of the forecourt and noting that there is a train to Nottingham roughly every hour.

Next up, its off to Mablethorpe where we recall previous holidays with a walk along the promenade and Dad goes down memory lane with a look at an old (and I would say frightfully dated) chalet park. Lunch came courtesy of the Beck pub and their excellent carvery, which far exceeded my expectations by proving to be most delicious. Then its time for a look at Ingoldmells, where the Fantasy Island theme park is accompanied by an array of somewhat tacky bars, amusement arcades and cheap food outlets. I much preferred the old village area up by the church and the Three Tuns pub.

Wednesday 20th May: A day of solo exploration sees me head inland to Boston. The train ride was great, offering views over the Lincolnshire countryside, notable for its general flatness and a number of drainage channels. Boston was brilliant - the market was on and the place was bustling. I start with photos of the train station (quite a nice traditional frontage) before stumbling across the basic bus station where a number of Brylaine vehicles were on layover. From here I head into the town centre to discover the market place, narrow streets and have a closer look at St Botolph's Church (otherwise affectionately known as 'The Stump'). Tate's old fashioned chip shop provides me with an excellent lunch, and then I go on the lookout for a cosy pub as I fancy another pint of Bateman's. Unlike Skegness, Boston has a cracking selection of traditional locals, but the Britannia had caught my eye - nestled on an old street in the shadow of the Stump, it proved a fine choice for a pint of Bateman's XB and a slice of proper Lincolnshire atmosphere.

The No. 7 Interconnect route provides a fascinating ride through quaint villages such as Freiston, Butterwick and Old Leake, and I decide to hop off for a closer look at Wainfleet. The village is home to Bateman's Brewery (more about that later), but also has a charming marketplace and its own clutch of homely pubs. There's also the village station to explore, complete with old fashioned level crossing and signal box - the signalman even pops out for a quick chat. The 7 then completes my return to Skegness, where I meet up with the family for another drink in the Red Lion. We complete a successful day by winning the quiz night event back on the camp - I was surprised with my knowledge of Mambo Number 5 by Lou Bega, but had absolutely no idea that the Clintons' cat whilst in the White House was called Socks!

Thursday 21st May: by now, Dad and I had developed a real taste for Bateman's beer so a visit to the brewery was well in order. We decided to make a day of it, catching the train up to Wainfleet so I could have another chat with the signalman and a further look around the village. Bateman's Brewery occupies a pretty site in an old windmill on the side of the river - very photogenic. After a look at some of the outbuildings, we head inside to sample the XXXB bitter. Served in top condition, I don't think I've ever had a better pint. The bar room was full of fascinating breweriana and certificates, and included part of an extensive collection of bottled beers that created a trail around the restaurant and exhibition room too. We decided to try the brewery tour, and were rewarded with a fascinating guided talk taking us through the historic and modern brewing process - at least now I have some understanding of terms such as grist, wort and mash tun. Even better, the tour concluded with a free sample and this time we tried the Mild, an excellent drink in its own right although XXXB is definitely my favourite. We also enjoyed a Ploughman's lunch and a few traditional pub games, where I failed miserably to land a hoop on a peg, oh dear! The train takes us back to Skegness, where I add to my bus photos with a shot of Hunt's route 7 on its way to Alford. An excellent day.

Friday 22nd May: The last few days have flown by and now its time to be heading home. The satnav guides us back through Boston and Grantham, and even introduces us to Melton Mowbray too. Before long we're on the M69 and M6 for the homeward stretch, and the West Midlands soon greets us - and that's that.

I really enjoyed the holiday, especially getting the chance to explore coastal resorts like Skegness and Mablethorpe compared with the historic market town of Boston. Lincolnshire has a lot of understated charm, proved excellent value for money and provided some wonderful memories of great pints, great pubs, great journeys and great fun.