Jon Sass, long-time member of the Industrial Archaeology Team at SLHA, was awarded the MBE in the New Years Honours, January 2021.

This recognises the immense contribution Jon has made to the understanding and conservation of Lincolnshire's rich heritage of windmills and watermills.

A small group from the Industrial Archaeology team - meeting for the first time face to face for over 12 months on 19 May - enjoyed a walk in Bardney along the Witham to Bardney Lock.

In the photograph, from the left: Chris Padley, Stephen Betteridge, Ken Redmore and Stewart Squires 

The second edition of Caitlin Green's book was launched in Summer 2021. It is a revision of the book published in 2012 and breaks new ground.

It offers an interdisciplinary approach to the history of the Lincoln region in the post-Roman period, drawing together a wide range of sources.

Stewart Squires led a walking tour of Nocton for an SLHA Industrial Archaeology group on 21 June.

The walkers are examining a standpipe formerly used to provide water for irrigation and livestock on the extensive Nocton Estate, now owned by James Dyson.

In the photograph, from the left: Adrian Bailey, Ken Hollamby, Stephen Betteridge, Stewart Squires, Chris Padley.

The Building Recording Group (RUBL) arranged a Saturday morning tour of some of Louth's historic town centre buildings on 3 July.

The tour leader, Dr Richard Gurnham, began the event in St James's church.

In the photo, from the right clockwise: Richard Croft, Pearl Wheatley, Caroline Crane, Dave Mellows, Roz Mellows, David Stocker, Jon Sass, Ken Hollamby, Adrian Bailey, Jenne Pape, Richard Gurnham; behind the camera: Ken Redmore

A small group of SLHA industrial archaeologists ventured beyond the county boundary and walked a stretch of the Chesterfield Canal from Gringley on the Hill to West Stockwith on 12 August.

As well as expected canal features (locks and bridges - though no canal traffic) there was evidence of several former brickyards close by. 

A new book was published by SLHA and launched at an ion-line event on 20 November: 'Stamford's Industrial Past: An Untold Story' written by the late Neville Birch.

Neville spent many years researching the subject and had assembled a formidable amount of material before his death in 2018. Chris Lester took on the role of editing the book but tragically died a couple of months before its publication. 

The premier award made by SLHA went to the Horncastle History and Heritage Society for their exhibition on Horncastle railway.

At  meeting held in the Sir Joseph Banks Centre, Horncastle, on 25 November, the award was presented to the Chairman of the HHHS, Dr Ian Marshman. (Covid restrictions had prevented the award being made at the AGM in October.)

In the photo (l to r): Chris Bates (exhibition organiser, HHHS); Ian Marshman (Chairman, HHHS); and Ian George (Chairman, SLHA)

The East Lincolnshire Railway line north of Firsby closed in October 1970. Members of the Industrial Archaeology team marked the 50th anniversary (a year late because of Covid) by examining surviving features of the line on 26 November.

The occupation crossing gate in the photo is one mile north-west of Authorpe. Chris Padley is beating down vegetation around the gate, watched by Stewart Squires and Stephen Betteridge. (Ken Redmore took the photograph from a safe distance.) 

Throughout 2021 the Society's lectures and conferences were held on line through Zoom. Because of the relative ease of engaging a speaker - wherever he or she was located - many more lectures were provided than through the accustomed conventional programme. Attendances over the first winter were high (60+ on some occasions) but numbers dropped off towards the end of 2021.

Managing events through Eventbrite was a big advantage too. Making on-line bookings and payments was straightforward; the audience  automatically received reminders about events.

'Zoom' meetings have been of huge benefit to societies like SLHA. How else could we have offered a programme of events to our members during the pandemic?

We are likely to continue holding on-line meetings because of their convenience and saving in travel and room hire costs. On the down side, members without computers have been excluded and the absence of face to face meetings is sorely missed by some.

Photograph: a screen shot taken during the conference in tribute to Dennis Mills, held on-line on 4 December. Andrew Walker (top right) was the coordinator; David Stocker (left) and Paul Dryburgh (bottom) chaired the two morning sessions of the conference. (The conference was organised jointly with Lincoln Record Society, the British Association for Local History and the Survey of Lincoln.)

The SLHA bookshop at Jews' Court closed in March 2020 as the first wave of restrictions were applied to shops and businesses. It re-opened on a limited basis (Fridays and Saturdays only) in July 2021.

Because of the restricted space in the building a maximum of  6 people (4 customers and 2 volunteer staff) are allowed inside at any one time. 

Two volunteers look after the shop, one to deal with sales and the other to manage the entry and movement of customers. A protective perspex screen is fixed in front of the till and there is a hand sanitiser at the top of the entrance stairs for the use of all who enter the building.

In the photo: Janet Edwards and Chris Gilham