New mum, young mum, mum-in-law, mature mum, granny mum even God mum...from looking after us when we are growing up and organising weddings, to being grannies and looking after our own children, or just being there when we need them, our mums need a big hug and a huge thank you if nothing else.

But if you want to say thank you to your mum with something she can keep and treasure then pop in to John Cussell, in Westgate, Grantham, to look at its fabulous collection of jewellery.

There is an exciting range of new and innovative designs in silver, which arrived just last week, plus a range of Nomination, Coeur de Lion, Jools, Nick Hubbard and Valentina’s murano glass.

As well as silver, the jewellers also stocks a wide range of gold jewellery, both yellow and white gold, including diamond rings, chains pendants earrings and bracelets.

So for your Mothering Sunday gift look no further than John Cussell. And if you really can’t make up your mind, gift vouchers are available in amounts of £5, £10, £20 and £50.

A free gift wrapping service is available.

‘Knit and Natter’ members from Gonerby Hill Foot WI held a stall in the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre in Grantham to raise cash for charity Friends of Chernobyl’s Children.

Carolyn Turner said: “It was a very successful day and to date the group has raised over £600.

“Thank you to everyone who supported us and to Morrisons for allowing us to hold the event.”

There has never been a better time to visit The Heating Centre in Grantham.

Throughout March, the London Road business is offering free fitting on its displayed range of gas fires - and with a usual standard installation costing £105 this really is a saving worth making.

If during the cold weather of the past few winters your fire has been working overtime then why not take this opportunity to replace it for a brand new model? You can then be warm and cosy with the knowledge that whatever the next few winters throw at us you’ll be prepared, and you’ll have saved yourself a fair few pounds in the process.

Prices start from just £349 and there is an enormous range to choose from. With the money you are saving you may want to consider changing your whole fireplace.

The Heating Centre has a fantastic selection of marble, limestone, granite and wood fireplaces with full packages starting from just £499.

The centre is also stockists of a great range of wood burning and multi-fuel stoves, including Burley which is a producer of the most efficient stove in the world.

If you are looking to replace your boiler or install a full central heating system, the team can offer a free in home quotation. In-house fitters undertake all installation work, ensuring high standards are maintained.

Gas fires and boilers are fully serviced. Prices start from £55 inc VAT.

Grantham & District Saturday League

Benevolent Cup

Bottesford Reserves 0

AFC Croxton 1

With both teams looking to progress from the group stages of the cup, a win was all-important and the end-to-end goal dashes showed the keenness to deliver a reward.

The first half, though, was filled with a host of missed chances as both teams failed to find their targets. Travelling keeper James Frost played hero for the highlight of the half when a quick dive enabled him to turn away the best chance so far, keeping the scores all level at the break.

The eagerness of the opening stint returned from the whistle as the second half got underway, but again there was little real threat in the first salvos.

A break finally arrived with 30 minutes remaining when Michael Burkitt picked out a pinpoint cross from the right wing which found Marc Clowes unmarked six yards out, and with time to pick his spot in the back of the net.

For the final phase, the home side raised the pressure as thye fought to get back into a game. But an organised Croxton backline held their nerve and the attackers out, to move them into the qualifying places for the knockout stages.

Newark Alliance

Division One

Barkestone le Vale 7

Rose and Crown 1

Barkestone turned in a splendid first half performance to go in 5-0 up at the break.

The first goal came from good build up play from Garner, who found Fazackerley, who in turn played a great ball inside the full back for Coleman to finish first time. The second was a thunde bolt from Jo Lee from 25 yards that flew into the top corner.

Garner then intercepted a back pass, to neatly round the keeper and roll the ball home for the third. Great work from Thomson down the left hassling the full back, led to the ball falling to Garner on the edge of the box. He unleashed a crisp strike into the far corner of the net for his second of the game.

Just before half time, it was a perfectly delivered corner from Thomson that saw Hutchinson rise highest to power a tremendous header home for Barkestone’s fifth.

In the second half, the visitors struggled to maintain the tempo and their passing and movement was not as sharp. Indeed it was Rose and Crown who pulled a goal back with a simple tap-in at the back post from a left wing cross.

But it was not long before normal service was resumed. A throw-in on the right, two or three quick passes and man-of-the-match Simon Hollingsworth found space just inside the box to finish neatly into the top corner.

The best was yet to come, with Lee Fazackerley scoring the goal of the season. A ball cleared out of the opposition box was dropping from the sky. Fazackerley made contact with a perfectly struck first time volley which crashed into the back of the net, giving the keeper no chance.

Barkestone missed several more opportunities to add to the scoreline in another impressive performance.

A new-look play area in Great Ponton will be officially opened on Saturday.

The village’s parish council will mark the event at the Village Centre at 2pm. It is an eagerly anticipated opening for village children in particular, who have had no play facilities for a number of years.

It has been refurbished thanks to funding from the National Lottery, the Big Society Fund, Rotary Club of Grantham, Great Ponton Village Centre and the parish council. The grants have enabled the parish council to erect new safety fencing and have the equipment repaired.

Grantham & District Sunday League

Division One

Long Bennington 1

Springfield AFC 2

Springfield kept the pressure on league leaders Grantham United with a hard fought win against Bennington.

The visitors started well but should have gone behind when Long Bennington were awarded a penalty. Keeper Dos Santos saved the spot kick for Springfield but was beaten by a neat lob 10 minutes before half time to give Bennington a slender lead going into the break.

Springy came out battling and drew level when Vorley sent a rocket past the stranded keeper from a tight angle.

With the game drawing to a close, both sides had decent chances and it was Springfield man-of-the-match McDonald who secured the points, lashing in from a cross by veteran Stubbs.

Springfield: Dos Santos, Duncan, Dixon, Blanchard, Stubbs, Proctor, Vorley, Howe, Sterry, McDonald, Webb, Chappell, Wilson.

Ropsley 2

Nobody Athletic 1

Ropsley had to battle hard to overcome a much-improved Nobody side by a single goal.

The home side took the lead on 20 minutes when a clearance from the goalkeeper was headed on by left-winger Paul McAllister, before Rich Healey lashed a shot into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Nobody Inn replied immediately when Gareth Johnson beat the offside trap and was put through on goal one-on-one. The first shot was saved by Neil Graham but Johnson tucked home the rebound after a scramble in the box.

Ropsley came out for the second half keen to increase the tempo of the game and were rewarded with a goal on the hour. This time it was Ropsley’s turn to beat the offside trap as Glen O’Meara put Rich Healey through the middle. Healey cut back on to his left foot and unleashed a shot that was too hot for the Nobody keeper to handle.

Ropsley had a couple of good chances to extend their lead but the Nobody keeper made a good stop to deny Healey a hat trick, and Fiorentino missed the target late on.

Nobody Inn were always in the game but could not create a clear chance to grab an equaliser.

Neil McClory of Ropsley was booked for dissent in the closing minutes of an otherwise gentlemanly game.

Ropsley’s man of the match was centre-midfielder Chris Greenaway in what is likely to be his last game for the team.

The old Kontak Sports and Social Club in Barrowby Road is set to be turned into a day nursery.

The applicant is Castlegate Day Nursery which says the building will cater for up to 100 children and employ at least 12 staff.

It will accommodate up to 10 babies - from six weeks to a year in age - 40 to 50 in the toddler/pre-school group and after-school facility would accommodate a further 25 children.

A con-man who invented a dying child to trick people into giving him money has been jailed for six months today.

Martin Heaver, 46, of London Road in Grantham, took sponsorship forms around Grantham and Melton asking for people to pledge money for a series of sponsored sky-dives he said he would attempt.

To ward off suspicion, Heaver also claimed he was a former Paratrooper. However, Lincoln Crown Court was today told all of his stories were a “web of lies” as Heaver was jailed for fraud.

Matthew Lowe, prosecuting, said: “There was no five-year-old girl who was terminally-ill, there were no parachute jumps and the money he obtained ended up in his own pocket.”

The court heard how Heaver, a father-of-four, had bought a red Paratrooper t-shirt and beret from E-bay to give his story authenticity.

An estimated 100 people pledged money to his cause, with Heaver pocketing between £900 and £1,000.

Judge Sean Morris described Heaver’s acts as “despicable” and said he had abused the name of “one of our most illustrious regiments”.

Judge Morris added: “You conned people into believing you were raising money for a little girl to send her to Florida to see Mickey Mouse, presumably, before she passed away.

“I can’t think of anything as low as that.”

READ THE FULL STORY IN TOMORROW’S GRANTHAM JOURNAL!

SOS Grantham Hospital, the campaign group fighting cuts which include the loss of the town’s maternity unit, has received a boost this week.

The Journal reported last week on the SOS petition against NHS Lincolnshire’s plans for Grantham Hospital having closed with 7,969 signatories.

However, it had been feared the authority would not take the petition into account as part of its consultation exercise but this week the group has received a letter from Allan Kitt of the South West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group confirming the petition will be taken into account.

Charmaine Morgan of SOS Grantham Hospital said: “Our next objective is to produce a report from the comments made by members of the public.”

Margaret Thatcher and her legacy in Grantham has always been a difficult topic to broach.

Since her return to the spotlight due to Grantham Museum’s controversy with a Thatcher statue the issue has heated up again.

There are those who point to her role as a world figure, something that Grantham should attach itself to in order to promote the town and its history. As with Sir Isaac Newton, Baroness Thatcher is an integral part of Grantham history.

However there is not so much divided opinion with the 17th century scientist. We can all agree that Newton is a popular figure that Grantham has since used to promote itself - just see last year’s Gravity Fields Festival.

The issue with using Baroness Thatcher in the same role is that she doesn’t have close to same popularity. This is what the argument narrows down to for me.

Thatcher may or may not have done a great job on the whole as Prime Minister, but at the moment her actions are still too fresh with many who disagreed with her domestic policy.

There has been an argument made that attractions based on the Iron Lady can benefit Grantham by bringing in tourists. I wonder just how many of them would be actually be interested in more than a plaque and perhaps a section of the museum detailing her life. There’s surely a limited boost that a simple statue can provide.

To bring in a statue does not show vision beyond looking backwards. We definitely need to improve the amount of information available to interested tourists and locals however.

True vision would be to address her time in Grantham and as Prime Minister in a restrained fashion and move on to progressing into the future.

A proposal is to be put before South Kesteven District Council that Grantham build a statue to Margaret Thatcher.

But those proposing the idea are not the majority Conservative group but Labour councillors.

Labour district councillor Charmaine Morgan says the left is proposing the statue as a way of boosting tourism revenues for Grantham.

Coun Morgan is calling on Conservatives to back the move at tomorrow’s full council meeting in St Peter’s Hill, Grantham.

In her Journal column Coun Morgan writes: “To offer hope to local people the Labour Group will propose a range of initiatives to encourage tourists into Grantham. This includes a new craft centre located in the heart of town.

We also propose an exhibit and statue/bust of Lady Thatcher.

“Contrary to some rumours, despite our personal strength of feeling about her, we feel the controversy and outside interest around Lady Thatcher provides an opportunity to attract international tourists to our town, who spent £11bn in our region last year.

This cannot be ignored.

“A secure location such as The George Centre or museum is recommended. It is now up to the Conservatives to join us and support these proposals.”

The meeting will be held tomorrow at 2pm.

READ COUNCILLOR MORGAN’S FULL COLUMN IN TOMORROW’S GRANTHAM JOURNAL.

The Mayor of Grantham is hosting a charity Pie and Peas Race Night at Grantham College Refectory on Friday, March 15 at 7pm.

There will be nine races. Horse ownership costs £2 and you can be a jockey for £2. There is a bottle of bubbly for the winning owner and jockey of each race, a raffle and licensed bar. Tickets cost £8, available by calling 01476 566841. Leave a message if necessary and someone will call you back.

Kitty Greer has turned 103 and celebrated the very special occasion with family and friends.

Her nearest and dearest would not have missed the chance to celebrate such a special day at Chandos House Nursing Home, in Gorse Road, where Kitty has lived for three years.

Hull-born Kitty moved to Grantham during the war as a Red Cross nurse, going on to marry Robert in the 1950s. The happy couple moved to the north-east.

Kitty returned to live in Barrowby in 1970, making many, many friends during her time there and immersing herself into village life. She became a member of the church and also the WI group.

Just after she turned 100, Kitty moved into Chandos House.

The chief executive of the trust which runs Charles Read Academy in Corby Glen insists the proposal to close the school is ‘not a done deal’.

Trudy Brothwell, CEO of the West Grantham Academies Trust, also denies claims she has ‘jumped the gun’ by sending paperwork to the Department of Education before the consulation period is over on March 28.

Mrs Brothwell said: “It implies we have broken the law and we have not done that. Nothing has been sent to anybody. It will be sent after the end of the consultation period. A copy will go to the local authority and there will be one in school.

“This is not a done deal. It’s a general consultation and there may well be a different solution to the suggested outcome. We are looking into every available option open to us and I am working very hard behind the scenes to explore every possible option.”

It has been reported some children have already been moved from Charles Read to other schools, but Mrs Brothwell said children should not be moved out of the school until a decision had been made on the school’s future. She said if Charles Read closed, there was enough room at St Hugh’s in Grantham to take them. There are 226 children at the school, with an intake of 196 expected next year. The proposal is to close the school by September 2014.

l A petition started by Sharon Broughton-Eley, a mother of three special needs children at Charles Read, has collected 3,000 signatures from those opposed to closure.

Mrs Broughton-Eley said she was delighted with the support she had received and was feeling confident that Charles Read could stay open.

A third and final protest by pupils and parents took place outside Charles Read yesterday (Thursday) afternoon.

Another public meeting has been arranged with MP Nick Boles in Corby Glen for Friday, March 8, following one held there two weeks ago with Mr Boles and Martin Hill, leader of the county council.

A “despicable” con man was jailed yesterday (Thursday), with a judge praising the Grantham Journal for its help in bringing him to justice.

Martin Heaver, 46, of London Road, Grantham, invented a terminally ill five-year-old girl whose “dying wish” was to meet Mickey Mouse so he could trick people into donating money, which he then pocketed himself.

To give his story authenticity, Heaver claimed he was an ex-paratrooper and even bought a red paratrooper

T-shirt and beret off eBay.

However, his story was branded a “web of lies” at Lincoln Crown Court.

Matthew Lowe, prosecuting, said: “There was no five-year-old girl who was terminally ill, no parachute jumps and the money ended up in his own pocket.”

Judge Sean Morris described Heaver’s acts as “despicable”. He added: “You conned people into believing you were raising money for a little girl to send her to Florida to see Mickey Mouse, presumably, before she passed away. I can’t think of anything as low as that.”

The judge went on to praise Journal photographer Toby Roberts and Grantham Amateur Boxing Club’s Dean Fardell for helping to expose the con man.

Toby and Dean became suspicious of Heaver and e-mailed him in an effort to “catch him out” - and they were successful.

Judge Morris said: “I think without their efforts this matter may not have been exposed.”

The judge added: “I would like to commend Mr Dean Fardell and Mr Toby Roberts for their work in bringing this man to justice and the court is very grateful to them.”

In sentencing Heaver to six months in prison, Judge Morris decried guidelines which limited the length of sentence he could impose.

He said: “The sentence will seem very low as I’m obliged to follow the guidelines.”

Judge Morris said the crime was made worse by the “impact on the wider community”.

He added: “Frauds such as these will make people sceptical about giving and in these hard times people need charities.”

Heaver claimed to be raising money for a five-year-old girl from Waltham on the Wolds in the Vale of Belvoir.

An estimated 100 people pledged money to the fictitious cause, with Heaver pocketing around £1,000.

Judge Morris said: “What you did in this case was despicable. The fraud involved you posing as a member of one of our most illustrious regiments.”

The court heard Heaver, who was described in court by his defence as a “Walter Mitty” character, had previously received a 14-week suspended prison sentence in 2004 for stealing £12,000 from his then employer, G4S.

An academies trust in Grantham told by the Department for Education that it is under-performing says work to improve has been ongoing for some time.

As reported in the Journal last week, the West Grantham Academies Trust is one of seven across the country to be told it must do better in a pre-warning letter sent by the DfE.

However, trust CEO Trudy Brothwell told the Journal that issues identified at one of its schools, Spitalgate Primary School, were addressed seven months prior to the letter landing on the doormat.

She added: “As a consequence of the robust actions put in place, there has been a rapid improvement in the named academy.”

The issues have been discussed with the Open Academies Performance Division since April 2012.

Mrs Brothwell said: “The trust acknowledges the strong support provided by the OAPD as it monitors progress as well as the faith they have in the ability of the trust to effect the required improvements.

“The current action plans having been agreed, all concerned believe that the WGA Trust will continue to improve standards in the newly configured academy structure to ensure they meet the good quality educational provision offered in the ‘lead’ academy.”

The pre-warning letter precedes a warning notice. If improvement does not follow, further action could be taken.

l What do you think? E-mail: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk

Here’s a look at what’s been going on and what’s coming up in Grantham.

Hydropool

Arthritis Care

Hydropool members will meet on Monday at noon.

Speaker

Ladies Probus 96

The February meeting held at Belton Park Golf Club, was enjoyed by 51 members, one guest and one guest speaker.

Sue Stephenson entertained everyone with amusing stories of her search for her ideal property, comprising a small house with a one-acre field, a walnut tree and a barn. She was thanked by Gloria Keasley.

Next meeting is on Wednesday, March 20, when Gerry Burrows will entertain members with a talk entitled Open All Hours.

Any ladies wishing to join the club should ring the secretary (Tel: 569175).

Concert

Grantham Music Club

The February concert, which was a tribute to the late JohnLodge, was given by the talented duo, Matthew Trusler (violin) and Guy Johnston (cello).

The next concert will take place on Wednesday, March 20, in the hall of the Priory Ruskin Academy, commencing at 7.30pm. This concert will be given by the piano quintet, The Hough Ensemble, whose members are based in Nottingham.

Tickets are available from the Guildhall box office, or at the door, priced £12 for non-members (£10 concessions), students free. Book online or call 406158 or contact the club secretary (Tel: 01400 250372).

Demonstration

Sugarcrafts

Seventeen members of Grantham Sugarcrafts attended the meeting held on February 14 and enjoyed a demonstration by Nicky Fuller on an Art Deco lady with roses done in bas relief. The finished product was donated as a raffle prize.

The annual meeting will be held in March for members only. Visitors are welcome at the group’s other meetings, admission £5.

quiz night

Hospice

A quiz night in aid of St Barnabus Hospice, will be held on Friday, March 22 at The Kings Hotel, North Parade, Grantham.

Doors open at 7pm and the quiz will start at 7.30pm.

Entry is £3 per person, with teams of up to six people. Tickets are available from Yorkshire Bank, 10 High Street.

Funds raised will go to the hospice and will be matched by Yorkshire Bank.

Walks

Ramblers

Grantham Ramblers have organised a number of walks this month. The first, on Sunday, starts in Caythorpe at 10am and will cover 8.5 miles. Walkers are advised to take a packed lunch and wear suitable clothing and footwear for countryside walking/weather. For more details ring 575304.

On Thursday, a walk of five miles will start in Osbournby at 10am. For more details ring 01529 300104.

Sunday, March 17 will see walkers start in Redmile at 10am for a nine-mile walk. Take a packed lunch and wear suitable clothing and footwear for countryside walking and weather. For more details call 575304.

On Thursday, March 21, walkers will set off from Folkingham at 10am to cover 4.5 miles. Ring 572322 for more details.

Everyone is welcome to join in these walks.

Shoppers

Thursday Club

Bon Marche played host to 15 ladies from St Anne’s Thursday Club who visited the store to browse and shop.

The staff provided refreshments.

Services

World Day of Prayer

Today is Women’s World Day of Prayer and special services to mark the event will be held at Harrowby Lane Methodist Church at 10.30am and St John’s Church, Manthorpe. Everyone is welcome.

Celebration

St Hugh’s Academy

More than 150 students at the West Grantham Academy St Hugh’s have been recognised for their exemplary behaviour at an awards ceremony.

The students attended the evening after their teachers nominated them for going above and beyond in their lessons, free time and extra-curricular activities.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Grantham, Coun Ian Stokes and his wife Sarah, the Rev David Shenton, chair of directors Alison Fox and Grantham College principal Linda Houtby were among those who presented prizes. Kevin Lawry, President Elect of the the Rotary Club of Grantham, presented a special award to five students who raised the highest amount of sponsorship in the recent Swimarathon.

Parents were then given a tour of the academy’s new Element Centre which includes a student support area, dance studio, music room and hair and beauty salon.

Academy Principal Louise Bennett said: “The inaugural P5 Celebration Evening was an inspiring event which served to reward and publicly acknowledge the many and varied achievements of academy students. It is testament to their hard work, enthusiasm and engagement in learning that the hall was bursting with parents, staff and dignitaries and I was exceptionally proud to be part of it.”

Forces fund-raiser

Shrapnel charity

A web-based fundraiser is being run by a charity set up after the death of a Grantham soldier in Afghanistan.

The virtual balloon race fund-raiser has been set up by Shrapnel, a charity established by Sharon Wigley following the death of her son Jonathan, in 2006.

It costs £2 per balloon to take part and participants can choose a colour and name for their balloon. You can have as many balloons as you wish. To take part go to www.balloonrace.com/shrapnel.

Mrs Wigley now lives in Hampshire but still raises funds with friends in Grantham. Shrapnel raises money to buy equipment to help injured soldiers.

Mrs Wigley said: “We will help them with anything they need to do with their disability.”

She added: “Balloons cost £2 each and you can be assured all money raised is going to a fantastic cause. We have a starting prize of a £30 Amazon voucher but we will increase the value of our first prize and add more prizes according to the number of balloons we sell.”

Jonathan was a pupil at Central Technology and Sports College from 1996 to 2001 and attended King’s School before signing up as a Royal Marine at the age of 17.

Newton returns!

Easter bunny float

Newton the Easter Bunny will return to Grantham later this month! The bunny will travel the streets aboard a float to raise money for charity for the second year. More details next week.

Could anyone explain why, on a Saturday night (and most other nights), the empty-headed morons, so-called ‘boy racers’, are allowed to flout every rule in the Highway Code without a single police car to be seen.

Yet, on a peaceful Sunday morning, two or three police vehicles can be spotted circulating the town?

Most strange.

Ian Allison

Great Northern Ct, Grantham

More than 600 households and businesses in Grantham are being asked for their views on air quality in the town.

A questionnaire has been sent out to the addresses by South Kesteven District Council because under law it is bound to undertake a review and make an assessment of air quality in the area.

The council has identified a number of roads in the town where levels of nitrogen dioxide exceed acceptable levels and have designated this area as an ‘Air Quality Management Area’.

Peter Rogers, the council’s Environment Protection Team leader, told residents and businesses: “Monitoring has been undertaken over many months and reports from specialist air quality consultants have concluded that the area in which you live and work should be declared an Air Quality Management Area. The main source of these emissions is vehicle traffic.”

Mr Rogers added: “We have previously written to the occupiers of Wharf Road and Brook Street/Manthorpe Road because these areas have already been identified as Air Quality Management Areas. But in order to tackle air quality issues that affect all the areas above, including where you live or work, we believe it is better to consolidate these individual areas into one larger area.”

The questionnaire asks recipients to choose three measures from a list of 15 which they think will improve air quality and reduce road traffic pollution.

Deadline for the return of questionnaires is March 12. The council said yesterday there had been 90 replies so far. It said the data would be collated after the deadline and the results would be 
made available at the end of March.

Reports on nitrogen dioxide levels are available on the district council’s website at www.southkesteven.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1568.