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I don’t know about you but Christmas always sneaks up on me, even though here at Lincolnshire Life, we have our first conversations in early spring about the festive season. Yet, here I am at the start of December with not a present bought or a pudding made. I will be relying on lots of our local businesses to get me up to speed and I am sure we have inspiration for you too this month.

Our bumper Gift Guide is packed with unique ideas for giving and entertaining. There is something to put a smile on the face of every member of the family and to suit all budgets.

Barbara Young interviewed designer Jenny Daft, who has some brilliant ideas of how to bring nature and natural elements into home decorations. The feature ends with instructions on how to make your own wreath to grace your front door or home. Read more on page 56.

For those wanting to connect with nature on a chillier level, Wendy Deamer interviewed members of the Boston Bluetits. Their name was inspired, I am sure, by our native garden species, rather than their hobby of natural swimming, as the members certainly come across as a cheery bunch of birds. Dip into the feature on page 32.

Barbara also grabbed the chance to speak to chef Gareth Bartram, in between his busy service at Winteringham Fields. Gareth gives great insight into making ‘edible art’ and shared some recipes which are bound to wow your guests when you are entertaining during the holidays. I love cooking the recipes we publish in Lincolnshire Life, so I will certainly be trying to emulate Gareth. A quicker and yet equally festive offering has been created by Dom Franks in his Belleau Kitchen this month. Perfect for grazing with friends over glasses of wine, Dom’s Festive Platter is packed with delicious local produce.

Our annual ‘Taste of Excellence’ Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards culminated with an event at The Blue Room, Lincoln early last month. Myself and our staff welcomed over 80 guests from the top three finalists in each category to be entertained by singer Michael Courtney and enjoy a Lincolnshire Tapas menu devised by Jean-Sebastien Braen and the team at Stokes Lawn Café.

Thank you and congratulations to everyone who joined us that evening and full results begin on page 77.
Wishing you a very happy Christmas from everyone at Lincolnshire Life.