Rod Collins

Where did the name Grimsby originally come from ?
On the face of it there’s a straight forward story to this but . . .
For me it’s less than satisfactory, in fact I personally think the commonly held etymology of the town’s name is wrong !
Let’s have a look at the possibilities Read the rest of this entry »

Old Buttons and Fasteners
A rolling article that aims to offer a guide and examples to help date and identify old buttons and fasteners.
Here’s a couple of metal detecting finds to get us going
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How to Dress for Town and Country
If you divide your time between the urban landscape of town and city and the rural landscape of the country side then you need to know how to dress.
If you do you’ll be a Dandy and a winner - if not then a Chav and a loser
Yes folks it’s winners and losers
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Scopwick War Graves ~ John Magee
An account of a sobering visit to the military cemetery at Scopwick in Lincolnshire.
I do hope you’ll take the time to read this - please do . . .
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Keddington Village and Church History
It’s not often you see a church boarded up !
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Early Thimbles and a look at how to date them
At the time of writing I’ve found two thimbles which is enough, I think, to start a provisional guide looking at early and collectable thimbles
I aim to develop this guide and add to it as and when possible - as always comments and opinions are eagerly sought
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Mystery Aircraft Flying Over Lincolnshire
A Guide to Identifying Strange Aeroplanes Flying Over Lincolnshire
I’ve some pictures but no idea what type of planes they are . . .
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Kitesurfing on Cleethorpes beach in Lincolnshire
Today saw your host mixing with the cool dudes - no dusty old historians but surfing dudes, and a dudette, not your common or garden surfers or windsurfers but Kiteboarders
It’s impressive . . . Read the rest of this entry »

Shore Birds & Wading Birds in Lincolnshire
I’m going to attempt to photograph and identify as many shore and wading birds in Lincolnshire as possible.
I’m off to a flying start after a great trip - see how it went and any help with bird identification would be much appreciated
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Take Better Pictures of Birds & Wildlife
This is a mission I’ve been on for a while but I’m going to change direction a bit I think
Starting with this picture here - which I’m quietly pleased with Read the rest of this entry »

Louth Park Abbey in Lincolnshire
Some months ago I visited the site on which the Cistercian Abbey once stood
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Worlaby Village & Church in Lincolnshire
Today I found myself once again in Worlaby , having returned home I thought it time I wrote the article up that’s sat in ‘drafts’ for half a year
It’s a great place . . .
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Is the Kindle E-Book Reader from Amazon Any Good ?
Hmmmm . . . I’m sorry to have to report it looks like it is actually . . .
This and other tales of woe Read the rest of this entry »

Fiskerton Fen Nature Reserve in Lincolnshire ~ Birdwatching ~ Photography & Walking
Today saw your host enjoying a well earned rest from the daily grind and, amongst other places, I had the great good fortune to enjoy visiting Fiskerton Fen Nature Reserve with my brother
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James Hunt Sold his Wife to Richard Burton !
Sounds amazing and as with all deals there’s always a winner and a loser - yes most cherished readers it the hot or not list again
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What’s the Best Way to Photograph Artefacts ?
That’s something that now needs to be considered and I’m in something of a quandary . . .
So I’m hoping for some ideas and opinions . . .
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How to Identify Old Brooches from the Celtic, Roman, Saxon, Viking & Medieval period
This is a basic ‘cover all’ article covering brooches in general, obviously now in its initial stages I hope it will build into a varied resource which will help people, myself included, to date and identify artefacts
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The Dolphin Hotel in Cleethorpes Lincolnshire
Perhaps I should declare a vested interest here - for many years I did my bit to keep this pub afloat via regular and generous donations through the till in exchange for copious amounts of beer.
My thirst now is not for beer though but for knowledge (like that ?) what’s the history behind The Dolphin Public House ?
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Lemmy & the Simpsons ~ Bart, Homer & Motorhead
Another one of my made up headlines I suspect you’re thinking right now - but put such cynical thoughts far from your mind most revered of readers - would I mislead you in such a way ?
Sometimes one has to believe in karma and that certain things dear to one simply must collide at some point
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Mods v Rockers at Seaside resorts !
It sounds like a blast from the past when the Mods used to go to seaside resorts to face up to the rockers but it still happens
As I saw on Sunday at Cleethorpes . . .
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