1 October: Lincolnshire Day

Lincolnshire Day began in 2006. The date commemorates the Lincolnshire Rising in 1536, a protest against Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries and England's separation from the Catholic Church. 10 things you might not know about Lincolnshire, Britain's second largest county.

1. Eight other counties have borders with Lincolnshire - East Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Northamptonshire. The boundary with the latter is the shortest county boundary in England at just 18 metres. Lincolnshire also has 50 miles of coastline.
2. The county town is Lincoln. Other towns include Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Grantham, Boston and Skegness.
3. The first policewoman worked on the streets of Grantham. Her name was Edith Smith and her primary duty was to deal with the town's prostitutes.
4. People from Lincolnshire are sometimes referred to as yellowbellies. Nobody is quite sure why. It may be because soldiers in the Lincolnshire Regiment wore Yellow waistcoats; or because an old folk tale says that a if a person born in Lincolnshire slept with a shilling on their stomach it would turn Gold by morning; or it may have started as an insult to poachers in the fens who'd get covered in yellow pollen while stalking game. Some notable yellowbellies are Sir Isaac Newton, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Margaret Thatcher, astronaut Michael Foale, Nicholas Parsons and Jennifer Saunders.
5. The town of Stamford has more listed buildings than any other UK town - over 600 - more than half the figure for the entire county.
6. The county has several claims to fame in the field of aviation. The first jet powered plane was invented there by Frank Whittle, and took off for its first 17 minute flight from RAF Sleaford. RAF Scampton was the base from which the 617 Squadron's Dambuster raid took off, and is now home to the Red Arrows. During WWII it was known as Bomber County because it had more airfields than any other. Pilots used Lincoln Cathedral as a landmark to guide them home.
7. Lincolnshire has a county flower, the common dog violet, and an unofficial county anthem, The Lincolnshire Poacher.
8. Lincoln Castle was one of the first to be built by William the Conqueror, in 1068. It has two mottes. Only one other castle has this feature (Lewes Castle). It has been used as a prison and a court - it is still where the Crown Court sits to this day. One of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta is kept here. It has also been used as a filming location for Downton Abbey.
9. Lincoln Cathedral was consecrated in 1092 and from 1311 to 1549, was the tallest building in the world. Before 1311, the tallest building was the Great Pyramid. One of the cathedral's most famous carvings is the Lincoln Imp. Legend has it that two imps were sent by the Devil to cause havoc in Northern England and in due course, they showed up at Lincoln Cathedral to do all kinds of mischief including smashing table and chairs and tripping the Bishop up. An angel arrived to order them to stop. One imp hid from the angel while the other threw rocks at it. The one throwing rocks was turned to stone by the angel and became the Lincoln Imp. The other managed to escape.
10. Lincolnshire dialect includes words like "mardy", upset or angry; "frit", frightened; "grufty", dirty or disgusting; and "hotchin" meaning a hedgehog.

NEW!

Obsidian's Ark

Teenage years bring no end of problems. Daniel Moran's include getting hold of computer games his parents don't think he should have; a full blown crush on the beautiful Suki from Zorostan; maintaining his status as a prefect and getting his homework done. He must also keep from his parents and sister the fact that he is a superhero with a sword from another world.

Trish wonders how to get science whizz Tom to notice her; how to persuade him that the best way to stand up to the school bully is to fight back. She doesn't want her friends, especially not Tom, to know she is a genetic variant with superpowers. Little does she know that Tom has secrets of his own.

Suki struggles to make friends at school when she cannot understand everyday cultural references, and they all suspect her of being a terrorist. She, too, has a secret, but is it what her classmates assume?

When Daniel stumbles upon a plot by an alliance of supervillains to plunge the world into war, he tries to alert the established superheroes, but none of them believe him. When the Prime Minister's only daughter, Yasmin Miller, is abducted, Daniel knows the villains' plan is underway. It seems humanity's only hope may be Daniel and the ragtag bunch of teenage superheroes he recruits. Can he pull together, not only his own team, but the older heroes as well, in a bid to save the Earth from a devastating war?

Themes: 

Superheroes; Coming of age; Leadership; Kidnap and rescue; Aliens; Friendship and rivalry; Terrorism; Secrets.

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