LINCOLN AtoZ

So here it is - the last ever episode of Lincoln AtoZ.  After 2 years and 51 grids, we set out on our trusty bikes one final time and bring the show to a climactic frenzy with a grid containing... nothing.  Yet, in spite of the lack of any notable features, the sight of an empty field leads Jonny and Paul to muse on what the point of AtoZ actually was.  Back in the studio there's an orgy of misty-eyed reminiscence as we each pick our top 3 grids, and Jo and Tref also tell us what AtoZ has meant to them.  We also look forward to the AtoZ exhibition at The Collection, and do battle one final time over A Question of Lincoln...

Having previously found themselves figuratively "shut out" in previous grids, this week Jonny and Paul are ACTUALLY shut out, and, with only one more week to go till the end of the series, question whether they'll be able to fulfill their promise to visit each and every grid. Instead, they find themselves stumbling around adjoining grids trying to find a way in whilst moaning about dog poo signs and almost falling off their bikes.  Meanwhile, back in the studio, Jo can at least give us the history of the grid, and Tref chips in too.  All this, plus the penultimate round of A Question of Lincoln.

This week we head into "The Maze", otherwise known as Sincil Bank.  The area is of course synonymous with Lincoln City Football Club, and we begin our visit outside the ground as a Tuesday night match kicks off, and reminisce about our times on the terraces.  Later, we venture further into The Maze where Jonny talks about how he was hit by a car, then finds himself inexplicably being hit by Paul.  Back in the studio we get the history of the area from Jo and have a double-dose of Tref.  All this, plus another round of A Question of Lincoln...

This week we head out the Eastern side of the city where, after bravely leaping across a ravine, we find ourselves in what is currently a peaceful field, soon to be dug up to make way for the tarmac and petrol fumes of the Proposed Eastern Bypass.  We muse over this development, with Paul coming perilously close to falling off his usual perch on the fence and proposing that he and Jonny become Swampy-style anti-road protestors ("I'll fetch me bongos..."), while tree-hugger Jonny needs no convincing.  Back in the studio, we hear from you about your favourite places in Lincoln (other than the Cathedral, obviously), plus we get some historical facts from Jo and Tref gives us his take on the grid.  All this, plus another round of A Question of Lincoln...

This week's show takes on a more sombre tone as we head out to a place most Lincolnites will visit at some point, one way or another - the Crematorium.  Here we meet Nick Barton, Bereavement Services Officer, the man who runs the show, so to speak, at the Crem.  Nick takes us through the process, which we thought might be quite a macabre experience, but turns out to be both reassuring and uplifting.  Later, we head out to Washingborough Road and have to choose between talking about the golf course, or continuing our musings on death in the cemetery - obviously, the cemetery wins.  Back in the studio, we get some historical context from Jo and some essential stats from Tref.  All this, plus another round of A Question Of Lincoln.

This week we head back to Washy where we pin our hopes on finding the pits, after we singularly failed to do so over in Canwick.  Here, Jonny reveals he's riding a girl's bike and wearing his wife's tights, while Paul relives a childhood encounter with nettles and in doing so gives up the chance of winning £100 from Harry Hill.  Back in the studio, we hear some memories of the area courtesy of the Spires & Steeples project, and we also ponder the future of Lincoln with some of your Facebook comments.  All this, plus Tref in fine voice and another round of A Question of Lincoln.

This week we take a radical departure from our usual format and present the entire show LIVE from our city centre grid.  Listen to us in real time as we wander around the streets trying to look inconspicuous whilst holding a microphone and transmitter!  Sadly, the hi-tech piece of kit we were promised singularly failed to work, so we were forced to use the ancient Siren FM "white box" transmitter and as a result it sounds like we're commentating on a 1970s overseas football match.  But if you can ignore the audio quality, you'll hear tales of Jonny's impending midlife crisis and Paul's embarrassing misunderstanding of the nature of the "Big Wok".  All this, plus our usual contributors Jo and Tref.

This week we venture down to the bottom of our map to the village of Waddington.  Several times in the past we've found ourselves excluded by high fences in our village grids - but never before by a man with a machine gun! That's exactly what we found at the Mere Road entrance to RAF Waddo where, in typically contrary fashion, we decide to completely ignore the massive Waddington Air Show and instead talk about car boot sales and being spied on.  Back in the studio we read some of your comments on which UK city is the best (obviously excluding Lincoln) and Jo and Tref put in their customary appearances.  All this, plus another round of A Question of Lincoln.

This week, in a very special episode, Paul spends a full 24 hours on the streets of the city centre observing the changes that happen across an average day.  From the early morning street cleaners, to the coffee-drinking commuters, to the night time revellers, each tribe take their turn to dominate before handing the city over to the next.  This special episode creates an audio portrait of 24 hours in the city.

This week we make our second visit to the village of Branston, and on the journey there we indulge in one of our favourite pass times: a pointless competition.  Paul wheezes his way up Canwick Hill on his bike while Jonny peers into people's gardens from the top deck as he races him on the bus.  Once there, it's all about Sex and the Suburbs as we discuss the love life of the couple on the "Elderly Crossing" road sign and speculate on the secret meaning of melons hung over garden fences, before calming ourselves down with talk of 1980s computer games.  Meanwhile back in the studio Tref is making demands and Jo "Turnip Husbandry" Hughes talks Monkeys.  All this, plus another round of A Question of Lincoln...

This week we're avoiding big piles of horse pooh on the West Common, accompanied by a very special guest - Jonny's pet greyhound Albert AKA The World's Best Dog.  Here, we discuss the aborted plans to bring back horse racing, and add horses to Jonny's long list of animal phobias.  Meanwhile, Paul becomes increasingly alarmed at Jonny's odd behaviour when he reveals a voyeuristic misadventure with a video camera, and back in the studio the fragrant Albert joins us for a chat.  As usual, Jo and Tref are here to chip in with their usual history and ramblings, and there's another round of A Question of Lincoln...

This week we venture out to the most North-Easterly grid on our map and confront our preconceptions of Sudbrooke, a place so posh they actually use napkins.  Jonny quickly sustains an injury but bravely soldiers on, while Paul stumbles upon a babbling brook and suggests a game of Pooh Sticks.  Back in the studio, we discuss Lincoln's great unsigned bands as ex-Calimero basist Paul boasts about his glowing NME review.  Meanwhile, Jo is on hand with the history of our grid and Tref talks pouffes.  All this, plus another round of A Question of Lincoln...

This week, with your regular hosts away, we decided to hand the show over to Siren FM's Anthony Cafferkey to see what he makes of our P5 grid - Ermine East.  Strangely, instead of blathering on about plastic windows or pointlessly bickering, as Paul & Jonny do every week, Anthony takes the frankly bizarre approach of actually speaking to key members of the community and getting to the heart of the issues affecting the people who live there!   First, he takes a trip to the "giant Pringle" St John the Baptist Parish Church and talks to Father Stephen Hoy about the challenges faced by the Ermine and the work being done by the church to bring the community together.  During this chat, Anthony and Stephen are interrupted by the arrival of the Ermine Voices Community Choir, which leads Anthony to speak to their Director Tori Longdon, about how the choir has had a life-changing effect on some of its members.  All this, plus our usual contributors Tref and Jo.  Will Paul and Jonny learn any lessons from Anthony's more socially-aware approach to Lincoln AtoZ? Next week: Paul and Jonny head to Sudbrooke to play Pooh Sticks.

This week we head out for the first of two visits to the village of Washingborough where Paul discovers once and for all his status on the programme at the hands of Chris DeBurgh, and we are alarmed by the number of boy racers of all ages.  Meanwhile, moral vacuum Jonny goes poking his nose into tiny doorways and relives a hangover.  Back in the studio, Jo tells us of the old Lincolnshire tradition of ran-tanning, where any member of the community who had stepped out of line was subjected to nightly assault by a braying, obscenity shouting, pigs-bladder-brandishing mob until they changed their ways - a practice which seems to have continued in Washy until surprisingly recently.  All this, plus a moment of reflection from Tref and, in honour of Paul "Pilgrim" Tyler's birthplace we play, for one week only, A Question of Boston...

This week we're in Nettleham... sort of.  Unfortunately, the convoluted and frankly nonsensical rules we've imposed upon ourselves mean that we can only venture as far as Mulsane Park - a recreational ground on the edge of the village containing a football pitch, cricket ground and ugly pebbledash garage.  Frustration leads Jonny and Paul to argue pointlessly over whether it's OK or not to take a cricket ball they've found (upright citizen Paul says no, the moral vacuum that is Jonny says Finders Keepers) and they reveal their plan to deprive a community football team of much needed revenue by getting into the football ground 2 for the price of 1.  Back in the studio, Paul decides to test the seemingly cricket-ignorant Jonny on obscure cricketing terms - and discovers that he's actually an expert on God's Own Game.  All this, plus Tref chips in, Jo gives us the history of the area, and there's another round of A Question of Lincoln...

A specially extended version of Paul's interview with Sarah and Laura from Lincolnshire County Council's Access LN6 sustainable transport project.

This week we mount our trusty bicycles and head to the Western end of Skelly Road, but nearly have to abandon the visit when Jonny's knackered old bike finally gives up the ghost.  Thankfully, we're not far from one of Access LN6's HireBike stations and Jonny is soon back on the road, which leads us to thinking about transport - later in the programme, we talk to Access LN6 about their work in trying to encourage people in the area do their bit to tackle traffic and switch to more sustainable ways of traveling. Meanwhile, Paul resolves never to mention Kirsty & Phil again, Jo is excitedly flipping through her maps and Tref talks wildfowl sites.  All this, plus another round of A Question of Lincoln.

This week Paul & Jonny take a trip down memory lane as they revisit their old alma mater, The City School.  Although the scuzzy old buildings they knew and loved have long gone under the swish new Priory City of Lincoln Academy, they are still beset with memories of cross country runs, drama lessons, and fruity shenanigans in The Peasantry.  Sadly, their reminiscences come to a bitter end when "bin boy" Paul has a mini breakdown upon discovering that today's pupils have iPads and nice decked areas.  Back in the studio, we hear your memories of the old City School, Jo is on hand with a history of the grid, and Tref chips in too.  All this, plus another round of A Question Of Lincoln.

This week we head to Jerusalem - not THAT one, the one on the West side of Smelly Skelly, where we find the euphemistically named "rendering plant" which is responsible for Skellingthorpe's notorious aroma and get spied on by old ladies.  We hit a nadir when, lacking anything else of interest to do, Paul finds himself looking into a grit bin for the second time in AtoZ's history, but we then make our way to the cycle path where a piece of art lifts our spirits.  We also hear from local resident, and Siren FM work experience girl, Katie who tells us what it's like to grow up in Skelly, Jo lets us in on the history of the grid, and we're paid another visit by Tref.  All this, plus another round of A Question Of Lincoln.... [Apologies once again for the sound quality on parts of this programme which is due to some technical issues]

This week we head uphill for an early morning visit to the area around Greenstone Stairs and the Bishops Palace where Paul channels the spirit of Kirsty and Phil to offer property advice, and Jonny sneaks in another moan about plastic windows.  Meanwhile, Paul talks to local film producers Hannah Agutter and Sophie White about their project "Curiouser", partially filmed inside our grid, Jo plunders the wealth of history in the area, and Tref gives us his thoughts on the grid. All this, plus another round of A Question of Lincoln... [Apologies for the slightly ropey sound quality on parts of tonight's show]