Hi All,
We're supposed to be movingto Lincolnshire in the summer, Boston area, and I'm looking for information from people who live or have lived there. I wondered what the dog scene was like over there? My sister already lives in Boston, but although she has got two dogs, she isn't into dogs the same way as I am. It's basic things that are really worrying me as well. I've got eight dogs and, as all the fields seem to be planted wih vegetables, are there places I can walk them and give them a good run off the lead? Are the vets friendly? What about ringcraft? I would be greatful for any input. As you might gather, I'm getting slight cold feet, so reassure me it will all be alright!! I live in Derbyshire and we are very lucky for places to walk the dogs, as I was thinking as they galloped over the fields this morning. I'm not looking forward to leavng the hills behind either, but my sister assures me that I will get used to it, and she prefers it flat now (she's lived there abut 12 years). Any input will be very welcome.
Karen

Hi
We moved to North Lincolnshire just over a year ago from the West Midlands and have NEVER looked back. We love it here. We have six dogs and we ave some wonderful walks around us including walking along the beach on the Humber Estery (sp).
The people are great in our village and have made us most welcome. The schools are much much better than the Midlands and there is so much for the children to do in the country.
You are also still near to Newark which has loads of open shows.
Don't worry you will love it!! :-)

Hi Karen

I'm about 10 miles from Boston out towards Coningsby :)

Ringcraft - 2 good ones close to Boston I know of. One on a Monday night about 2 miles out of Boston and one on a Tuesday night about 6 miles from Boston. About 40 mins away is Newark where there is at least one open show most weekends.

Vets - quite a number of vets in the area so you should be OK there. I have heard VERY good reports of one about 3 miles out of Boston and I beleive the vets in Boston to be fine too although I have not used either of these practices (I use one closer to me)

Walks - as you say much of the land is planted and cropped round this area. I use Woodhall Woods as my main walk but I'm sure there must be places around Boston. I've heard many say they walk along the river and dyke banks in the area.

People - on the whole friendly although as with any place there are "characters".

Land flat :D Much easier on the legs ;)

Sara :D

What can I say, Linconshire, well most people expect dogs to bark and the natives are friendly and accept that you like dogs and they like carrots and they don't see a problem in that. Love it here and would not move. Jackie H

Have some very good flatcoat friends who live in Lincolnshire and love it. The only thing they've told me that they have to watch out for is the run-off from crop sprays etc in the smaller ditches (drains?)- they say the larger dykes and rivers seem to be fine.

Would be interested to hear what the othe Lincolnshire-ites say about it.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

I agree with all that Sara says about Lincolnshire ..and that people should bear in mind it is a vast county...and there can be big differences depending on where you live. Lincs is divided into 3 area ..Kesteven , Holland and Lindsey ..with each of those areas being sub divided ..I live in North Kesteven for example :)

Some areas are quite built up with more than normal (for Lincs) industry ...some areas are very rural. Like most of the more rural counties it has its plus side as well as its minus ....to my mind , the plusses outweigh the minuses by a mile :D

Melody

Hi Jo :)

There shouldn't be a problem of run off from crop spraying but that isn't to say there isn't. I wouldn't know for sure. I do know that the farming co-operative I worked for for 8 years had farmers who were very responsible about sprays etc. There are all sorts of rules about not being able to spray near water courses of any type and size. They couldn't spray within x metres of any ditch/drain and so on. Also as most of the crops are for human consumption there are stringent rules about types and amounts of sprays used.
I can understand you friends logic as any run off into a field ditch would be more concentrated than when it reaches a larger drain or river.
There are times when you can smell spray in the air :(

I see a black flat coat many mornings on my way to walk. A happy tail wagging chap/lass who often looks like it's been paddling ;)

SaraW :)

To be honest , I would rather the occasional whiff of crop spraying and chicken poop than the constant smell of traffic fumes and the stuff the factories chuck out ;)

Melody

me too :D :D

To say nothing of the onions. Don't mind the onions but not to keen on the cabbage, but you only notice the first day they start cropping. Boston is in South Holland, the flat bit near the wash and also near to me and Sara. Don't worry it's a county made for dogs. Jackie

hee hee onions :D That'd be the company I worked for growing in your area ;)
You wanna smell what it's like in a onion peeling factory :P :rolleyes:

We get some nice rotting veg smells in Lincolnshire don't we :D
And chicken farms, and air craft noise, and mud on the roads from the beet lifting, and slow moving tractors on the roads (or even worse the unimogs that go at 40 mph and are a bit too quick to get past on the country lanes), and lots of lorries from the Spalding food factories but you know what - I wouldn't change it for the world ;)

SaraW :D

And you BOTH need to smell what its like in a Cauliflower or sugar beet factory ;) Ah ..the things I did when I was young :D

ahhhhhhhhh but I have ;)
They used to prep Cauli where I worked and I lived in Bardney for a while (that's why I never shut doors lol)

I'd forgotten those two *delightful* smells :D

And I worked in a Carrot factory but that smell was OK :D

Hi Karen we moved here about 14years ago from a city in the south and from a houseing estate very built up we now live in the middle of nowhere well our shop is two miles away main shoping is 10 miles we are lucky we have no near neighbours but most of the neighbours like a mile down the road all have show dogs. i was very worried about moving and leaveing my family but i would never go back and i had not lived any where but the city i was born there but you know what lincolnshire is the best place to live and to bring up your children .
newark is a great showground .hope this puts your mind at rest about moving there does seam to be a lots of us from lincolnshire on this board maybe we should have a roll call.

which area of Lincs are you Elsa ?

I was born in Lincolnshire. Does that count? And I'm not far over the border now!:)
Lynn x

Lynn ..you are definitely one of us ;)

(Don't know if thats a good thing or not though :D )

Melody

:D :D :D

just outside a small village about 5 mins M180 and 5 mins to get to A15 In Between waddingham And South Kelsey over market rasen way

Thanks Elsa

Was just being nosy incase it turned out you were neighbours lol
I'm further South than you but know the area you mean :)

SaraW

Thanks everybody for all your replies. Seems like I'll have a lot of good company in the county, and you've all put my mind at rest. I've already had experience of the cabbage smell when visiting my sister!! (Didn't mean that to sound like my sister smells!!) It's just the hills then, perhaps I can build one in my garden - large pond with small hill next to it made from the diggings! (If I lie on the ground and screw my eyes up it might just look bigger!) I'm sure I'll get used to it. I'll be on again when I've got a definate moving time and place.
Karen

My husband loves the big sky but I felt the need to plant a few trees, if thats the only problem it is something I'm sure you will learn to live with, could always go a bit further north, they have hills there, its only around the wash that is so flat. Mind you it's around the wash that we have such good weather compaired to the rest of the country. JH

Well we are moving to Lincoinshire we hope! Wont say were yet in case it fall s through But very much looking forward to it. All our family live there. :) Julieann