Earth calling Alison (Journal column, February 22), ban HGVs in rush hour, why? So people can do the school run or get to work on time? Guess what, leave that little bit earlier.

If only you could come out for one day with us HGV drivers you would understand what we do and what good drivers we are.

Most accidents happen because car drivers in a rush, cut us up and expect us to stop on a sixpence. What you don’t know, is that we know what you’re going to do before you do it, so avoid accidents.

Yes, we make mistakes, we’re human. But to ban HGVs in rush hour would result in no milk in the shops, no papers or bread for your early morning tea.

Let’s deliver at night? People who live near a shop or building site would love that. A four-ton truck coming down their street at 2am, 3am, 4am. If you ban them at these times, where does it end? Without trucks you would have nothing as most goods come by road for part of their journey. I suppose it will fall on deaf ears, so as normal we will keep reading comments like yours and feel so appreciated by your thanks.

Very angry truck driver.

Graham Morris

Gorse Hill Lane, Caythorpe

Bottesford teenager Callum Jones has taken another positive step towards retaining his place in the Great Britain junior rowing squad for 2013.

The 17-year-old, who won a bronze medal in the GB eight in last year’s Junior World Championships, competed in the GB long distance trials over the five-kilometre course at Boston over the weekend.

Teaming up with Oli Knight, also from St Edward’s School, Oxford, they were competing as a pair for the first time in a field comprising the best 44 junior pairs in Great Britain.

On Saturday, they finished in third place, 0.6 seconds behind the second placed pair, but improvement on Sunday saw them take second place over the same pair by nine seconds.

Their excellent performances should see Callum and Oli invited to the next stage of the selection process which is the GB Spring Assessments at Holme Pierrepont in March, and the team trials at Dorney Lake, Eton, in April.

I think it is safe to say that anyone who thinks tourism is going to result from the erection of a statue of Thatcher, is probably living in cloud cuckoo land.

As a result of Cameron, Osborne and Boles’ slavish dedication to so-called free market economics, or Thatcherism as we know it, the town has a multitude of empty emporia to look at.

An almost deserted (if today is anything to go by) town centre.

The out of town free market superstores flourishing might make a nice visitors’ centre. Even those have empty stores and not even the execrable Mary Portas can stop that.

The empty building site that was once a thriving business park off Albert Street, is a fine testament to Maggie’s free market fanaticism.

They could, of course, help the citizens of Grantham count the potholes around the town.

Personally I loathe Maggie and all she stood for.

All I ask is that no public money be used to erect any statue.

The economic wasteland that is Grantham, is testament enough to Thatcherism. Let them worship any statue by erecting it where Grantham used to thrive.

Anthony Hindmarch

Address supplied

Grantham and District Indoor Bowling Club results:

Lincolnshire Men’s League

In a closely fought game that saw them lose three rinks, Grantham just managed to hold on and win the match by having the higher aggregate score.

Grantham 84

Stamford 83

R Lewis, D Rainsford, B Smith, Joe Lewis lost 12-17; T Summers, A Curtis, K Lilley, J Stanfield won 22-14; W Stevenson, T Asher, Jay Lewis, T Berridge lost 15-20; M Carter, W Leadenham, M Eurich, J Pask lost 15-19; I Cole, C Goodley, R Payne, L Payling won 20-13.

Sencit League

Bottesford 45

Grantham 43

Bottesford names first: R Barnes, C Richardson, P Bennett, W Shores lost 11-20 to Da Lester, B Patten, G Stafford, J Kime; G Smart, P Pearson, R Murphy, R Turnbull beat D Lester, J Dempster, D Pimm, M Appleyard 16-9; P Hewitt, M Payne, R Payne, A Palmer beat J Beardsley, M Cardwell, Merv Cardwell, S Beardsley 18-14.

Arnoldfield 50

Long Bennington 59

Arnoldfield names first: M Palmer, G Lloyd, J Hanbury, K Smith beat J Woods, E Hoare, C Tuckwood, D Woods 15-13 to ; G Bland, B Marston, J Gowler, D Gowler lost 16-21 to J Hall, E Eggleston, T Hoole, Jo Morris; A Alexander, H Housley, M Goodchild, B Goodchild lost 19-25 to J Hoole, Ju Morris, R Baxter, G Hall.

Club friendly

Grantham 164

Market Overton 74

S Richards, P Riches, H Whatley, N Smith won 32-10; K Germany, J Tinkley, Jay Lewis lost 14-17; M Palmer, Do Lester, Da Lester, M Appleyard won 28-14; M Payne, H Ward, E Ward, R Payne won 30-6; B Patten, D Rainsford, D Abernethy, J Kime won 32-17; Mary Cardwell, I Ludwig, A Ludwig, Merv Cardwell won 28-10.

I would like to say a big thank you to the First Responder and the ambulance crew who came to our home when my wife had a fall recently.

They were very calm and efficient and couldn’t have dealt with her better if she had been the Queen herself.

We received the same kind of treatment at Grantham Hospital and were very impressed.

Doug Atter

Grantham

Archaeologist David Hibbitt was inspired to take-up a new hobby in 1995 when he watched Tony Robinson’s Time Team.

Today he is a director of Grantham Archaeology Group who has even appeared on Channel 4 show which sparked his initial interest.

How did you get started? Were you always interested in history?

I was very indifferent to history at school but I have always had an interest in archaeology and history, it was always there. Then Time Team came along and I got interested in that. I found out about a local group and joined to gain field experience. That was in 1995.

Were you hooked immediately?

Yes, pretty much so. I didn’t necessarily know I wanted to do it as a career but I found it interesting and rewarding.

Do you find any time period particularly interesting?

The Romans were good because they were messy and left lots of things behind!

Any digs in particular stand out for you?

Every site is unique so it’s quite hard to pin down any one event. Although, I did meet my wife on an archaeological site so I should say that really! I enjoy running the sites. Plenty of people want to excavate but not many want to do the paperwork before and afterwards! People tend to want to dig things up then go home.

Last time I saw you was at a dig at St Vincent’s in Grantham, former home to Bomber Command...

We ‘re finding that a lot that has been written on St Vincent’s turns out to have errors in it so what my wife, Angie, has done is compile the historical research for St Vincent’s right back to the original documentation - that way you are getting it right from the word go. I think Graham Jeal (the owner of St Vincent’s) is very pleased with what we’ve done up there. Luckily he’s a nice chap because we said ‘we want to dig your garden up with a JCB’ and he’s said ‘yeah, no problem’. Not everyone would let us do that, although I wish they would. We’ve also been doing some work out at Ancaster with schoolchildren.

Can a more practical side to history help children learn?

A good sound knowledge of text books is good but you can’t beat being out in the field. You can read about it as much as you like but until you get out and do it you don’t know if you are going to enjoy it or not. We like to give people the opportunity to have a go and the majority seem to stay with us.

You’ve said Time Team was an inspiration and you have appeared on the show yourself...

Yes we helped with the Time Team dig at Belton (home of the First World War Machine Gun Corps). That was very moving, very interesting and very evocative. We were asked to dig a machine gun trench by hand; the difference was we were doing it in the summer, people weren’t shooting at us and trying to kill us and we weren’t doing it in a foreign land. It really brought home how difficult it would have been.

What advice would you offer someone looking to take the first step into archaeology?

Talk to your local groups and your local history societies and just get involved. Specialize as well. The money and job satisfaction is in specialist fields like pottery identification or human remains.

As a family, we would like to thank every member of the Ward 6 team for the wonderful care they gave to our mother, Doris Bowden, during her stay with them very recently.

Unfortunately she passed away but she was treated with the utmost compassion and kindness throughout her stay which allowed her to keep her dignity until the end.

We are always reading and hearing things about the state of our hospital, but we wanted to give our total support to the work and dedication of the staff and have nothing but praise for the way our mother, and us as a family, were treated.

A very grateful family

Corby Glen

As a regular outpatient at Grantham Hospital, I wish our so-called representative at Westminster, Nick Boles MP, would tell his bosses to stop knocking doctors and nurses.

All we hear is criticism, veiled and unveiled, of dedicated people beset by unwarranted cuts, by a Government whose policies are the true cause of most of the problems.

My own experience of doctors and nurses at both the hospital and local surgeries who are in their jobs because they care for and about people in more ways than one, which is more than can be said of greedy, self-interested politicians.

Neither the previous Government nor the whole of the NHS are to blame for one rogue hospital and anyway, who was it who introduced the hospital trusts system in the first place?

And while we are on the subject, what kind of an authority downgrades a hospital in an area already earmarked for massive growth and the building of thousands of new homes?

If I knew when and where his constituent surgeries were held I would love to discuss the matter with Mr Boles, but I don’t think he would want to hear what I would want to tell him.

Peter Clawson

Welham Street, Grantham

Here’s a peek at what’s been going on in the villages around Grantham.

Charity sale

Bottesford

A table-top sale in aid of St Barnabas Grantham Hospice will take place on Sunday from 11.30am to 2pm in the village hall.

There will be a large variety of stalls and refreshments will be avilable.

Entrance is 50p, accompanied children free.

Snowdrop walk

Buckminster and Sewstern

Last Sunday’s All Age Worship service was held in St John the Baptist Church, Buckminster, led by Lay Reader, Judith Wells. The readers were Ian Bracey and Claire Kurth.

The children of the 3Cs, and other regulars, spoke about worship with flags/banners/ribbons, their uses, the colours and their meanings, followed by a dance.

Those taking part were Emily and Lillia Berridge, Esme Burton, Aiden and Evie Drinkwater, Georgia and Joshua Penfold, Chloe Price and Max Whitney.

The congregation were reminded that Coston Church, as part of the Benefice, is holding a coffee morning tomorrow (Saturday) in Sewstern Village Hall, from 10am to noon.

On Sunday, Buckminster Church is holding a Snowdrop Walk in Buckminster Park from 10am to 4.30pm. Entrance is via the village green. Refreshments and stalls will be in the church.

On Sunday the Benefice communion service will be held in Holy Trinity Church, Sewstern at 10am. All welcome.

Bingo will take place in Sewstern Village Hall tomorrow (Saturday) at 7.30pm.

On Monday there is a whist drive in Buckminster Village Hall at 7.30pm.

Lent courses continue on Tuesday at 2.30pm and 7.30pm in Buckminster and Wymondham.

The 3Cs meet in the studio, Buckminster School, on Tuesday from 3.30pm to 4.30pm.

A coffee and chat meeting takes place on Wednesday at The Blue Dog, Sewstern from 11am.

Fund-raisers

Castle Bytham

On Saturday, March 9, an Easter prize bingo will be held in the village hall at 7.30pm.

A jumble sale will take place on Saturday, March 16 in the village hall from 1.30pm. There will be the usual good quality jumble, raffle and refreshments.

Proceeds from the two events will go to the senior citizens’ Christmas lunch fund.

For more details contact Angela (Tel: 01780 410629).

Table-top sale

Fulbeck

A table-top sale will take place in the village hall on Saturday, March 9, from 10am to 2pm, to raise funds for the local LIVES First Responder group.

Table hire is £5 (includes table) and can be booked with Brenda Gilman (Tel: 01400 272617).

Light refreshments will be on sale during the day.

The parish council will meet on Monday, March 11 at 7.30pm in the village hall.

This is an opportunity for members of the public to make comments and ask questions. Anyone who has a matter they would like discussed, should contact the clerk, Philippa Brown (Tel: 01400 273413) at least one week prior to the meeting.

A service to mark the Women’s World Day of Prayer will be held in Navenby Methodist Church today (Friday), starting at 2pm. This year’s service has been prepared by the women of France. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Jumble sale

Harby

A jumble sale will be held in the village hall on Saturday, March 9, from 10am to noon.

Admission is 50p adults, children free.

Refreshments will be available.

Proceeds will go to Harby Pre-School.

Jumble sale

Langham

A plant and craft fair will be held in Langham Village Hall on Saturday, March 9. There will also be a small selection of vegetables on sale from 10am until 3pm.

Refreshments will be 
available and entry is free. Donations will be accepted towards the refurbishment of the hall.

Choral music

Waltham-on-the-Wolds

Tomorrow (Saturday) the Cantamici Choir will perform a programme of sacred and secular choral music with guest soprano, Georgina Baker, 
accompanied by Peter Williams.

The event will be held in St Mary Magdalene Church at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5 on the door, or to purchase in advance contact Helen Spencer (Tel: 01664 464597).

Why does The West Grantham Academies Trust want to close down Charles Read School?

If the pupils are happy, like it and enjoy the school, let them stay.

It’s a great school, why close it?

I went to Charles Read in the 1960s and so did many other people/pupils over the years, and with luck, many more to follow.

Good luck and best wishes to all pupils and parents trying to keep Charles Read open. It’s your school, boys and girls.

What will happen to the school if it is closed - houses built on the site?

Tony Flower

Beck Gardens, Grantham

I was in stationary traffic on St Peter’s Hill on Monday afternoon when I noticed a parking warden checking cars parked outside Escritt & Barrell and the other shops along there.

He then walked up to one car that was parked in the bus stop outside these shops....and then proceeded to open the car door, get in and drive off! Couldn’t quite believe my eyes!

Surely he shouldn’t have been parked there.

And this is the person checking whether we are parked correctly.

S. White

By e-mail

Vale of Belvoir Darts League held its pairs knockout competition at The Dirty Duck, Woolsthorpe, on Friday.

Don Povey and Paul Stevenson from The Kings Arms, Scalford, played the most consistent darts all evening and deserved their win.

Runners-up were Wayne Kirk and Gareth Guy from The Plough, Stathern, who played really well but were just beaten 2-1 in a very close final.

I would like to say a very big thank you to all the young ladies and the gentleman who worked at Scott’s Newsagents near Grantham bus station.

They were all very kind , caring and helpful to me and I’m very sorry it had to close.

I had been a customer at the shop since it opened and always received great service.

Alan Robinson

Dryden Close, Grantham

A rare early group of autographs from all four of The Beatles, inscribed ‘lots of love from The Beatles’, will go on sale on Wednesday in Grantham.

These autographs were signed in early 1963 when the group had just recorded their first album and were gaining success. They were one of several bands who played the Elizabethan Rooms in Nottingham on March 7, 1963, where the compere for the evening got the Fab Four’s signatures in their dressing room.

Grantham resident valuer and auctioneer Luke Handley said: “Considering their career together spanned less than a decade, the legacy left behind by The Beatles is considerable. Their influence on popular culture, fashion and style has no equal, even now, 50 years later and cannot be underestimated.”

The autographs are frame glazed and mounted with the script ‘Elizabethan rooms, Nottingham, March 7, 1963, show compered by Keith Gordon. Supporting acts on the night, Jerry and The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, and The Big Three’.

The autographs will be sold at the Golding, Young and Mawer auction rooms on Old Wharf Road. Interested bidders can contact the salesroom on 01476 565118 or register online at www.goldingyoung.com

A fraud investigator found that a Dry Doddington man had conned the East Coast Main Line out of more than £10,000 by using fraudulent train tickets.

Robert Adamson, of Summerfield Close in Dry Doddington, admitted four charges of fraud by false representation, one charge of being in possession of an altered train season ticket and one charge of being in possession of 33 altered train tickets.

Daniel Paulson, prosecuting, said staff at Grantham railway station spotted Adamson’s forged season ticket. They contacted police who searched Adamson’s car 
and home and found 33 altered tickets “dating back several years”.

Adamson, 43, had also been using altered car parking tickets to park at Grantham while he travelled to and from London.

Chris Milligan, defending, told the court a fraud investigator had put the amount of money Adamson’s fraud had cost the East Coast Main Line at £10,596.

Mr Milligan added: “To his credit he has repaid that sum in full. He has had to borrow money to do so and will have to work hard to pay that off.

“He was made redundant in October 2012 from a job where he had put everything into it to the extent it partly contributed to him getting into this awful mess.”

Mr Milligan read a statement by Adamson in which the defendant said the offending had “snowballed out of control”.

The statement also said: “I feel disgusted and humiliated. I am deeply sorry and remorseful for my actions.”

Mr Milligan described the fraudulent acts as “not sophisticated” and “amateurish”. The dates on the ticket were altered with a pen.

Mr Milligan said: “The deception was really down to using a Biro pen and nobody picking it up. On any close inspection by a guard it would have been spotted.”

The case was adjourned until March 13 for pre-sentence reports. Adamson was released on unconditional bail.

A woman who racially abused a police officer denied in interview that she is racist.

Toni Charlton, aka Toni Kime, of the Blue Horse Inn, Great North Road, Great Ponton, admitted a racially-aggravated public order offence.

Daniel Paulson, prosecuting, told the court Charlton was in police custody when she began shouting abuse at the custody sergeant, calling him a “black b*****d”, a “monkey” and other racial slurs.

Giles Tyas, defending, said Charlton, 28, is “well-known to the psychiatric services and Grantham”, adding that she is bipolar and has a borderline personality disorder.

Mr Tyas said that the conditions are exacerbated by alcohol.

He said: “She was candid with the officers in interview and stated repeatedly that she was not racist but had been drinking.”

Before sentencing, chair of magistrates Ian McDonnell questioned Charlton’s means, asking if it was true she spent £50 a week on smoking - £20 more than she spends on food - to which Charlton replied “yes”.

Charlton was fined £75 and ordered to pay costs of £30 and a £15 surcharge.

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League

Premier Division

Grantham Town 1

Ilkeston FC 1

Grantham Town took a deserved share of the points from their clash with old foes Ilkeston at The Meres on Saturday, giving a good account of themselves in another battling performance.

Following a goalless first half, the Gingerbreads conceded after the break but equalised in dramatic style to set up a nail-biting final 10 minutes.

Ilkeston keeper Chris Martin was forced into action in the second minute when he caught Deon Meikle’s header from a 35-yard free kick. Town went close again three minutes later but Nathan Watson could not get his head to Kallum Smith’s cross in front of an open goal.

Grantham looked the more aggressive generally in the opening 20 minutes, after which the visitors themselves started to move upfield. Ilkeston skipper Jamie Reid’s shot was deflected wide for a corner kick. Jack Watts took the flag-kick, from which Gary Ricketts got a header but the ball went wide.

At the other end, T. J. Nightingale forced another overhead catch from Martin in the 21st minute and two minutes later, Watson drove just wide with a diving Smith just failing to make contact at the far post.

The Gingerbreads continued to play some nice touch football but still with no final product.

Rhys Lewis conceded a free kick in the 27th minute. It was knocked short for Joe Maguire to line up a shot, but his effort flew over the target.

Watts teed up a shot in the 39th minute but his left-footed attempt curled wide of the Grantham goal. Two minutes later, Sam MacVicar got aheader on target but the ball went straight to the Ilkeston keeper.

The last action of the half saw a diving header from Ilkeston’s Alex Ford fly just past the post in added time.

The home side were the first to show after the break. Three minutes in, Smith broke down the right flank and put in a great cross-field ball to captain Emeka Nwadike, but he sliced his volley wide of the Ilkeston goal.

Another move down the right on 51 minutes saw Watson put a ball through to MacVicar. He bossed the Ilkeston defence and got a good cross in to Nightingale who just failed to tap in as the ball ran away from him at the near post.

Ilkeston had the same problem at the other end two minutes later, with Watts just unable to make contact with Matt Richards’ cross through the six-yard box.

A 56th minute Ilkeston corner kick saw the ball come back to taker Richards, who returned it into the six-yard box where Town keeper Jake Turner managed to punch to safety.

Play became more open in the second half and Grantham went behind in the 57th minute. Turner attempted to punch Laurie Wilson’s corner kick clear but knocked to the ground in the scramble, and the ball dropped nicely for Joe Maguire to knock into the net.

With their tails up, Ilkeston looked something of a threat at times. Ricketts had a run down the right in the 66th minute but he drove his effort over the bar. Grantham had a reprieve a minute later when Richards’ seemingly goalbound shot struck the post. Alex Ford forced a save from Turner in the 69th minute.

The open format of play also allowed the Gingerbreads to infiltrate more easily. Watson got a good ball in to Lee Ridley in front of the Ilkeston goal, but he was unable to get a shot off.

Lewis tested the visiting keeper with a 20-yard drive in the 77th minute, but Martin caught with confidence.

Grantham’s Deon Meikle deserved his man-of-the-match award for two acts of heroism within a minute of each other. The Town number four cleared Ricketts’ header off the line in the 81st minute, and then gave the Gingerbreads a deserved equaliser when he fired in a corking volley from the right.

Ilkeston’s defence began to get a bit ragged as the visitors sought to re-assert themselves, as Grantham too searched for a winner.

The nearest either side got was in the third minute of injury time when Ilkeston’s Ricketts, unable to quite reach the ball, missed the chance of an absolute sitter.

Grantham Town: Turner, Hannigan, Ridley, Meikle, Hawes (Asher, 64), Lewis, Watson, Nwadike (c), Nightingale (Carchedi, 59), MacVicar, Smith (Troke, 78). Subs not used: Elliott, Martin. Att: 323.

Vigilant shopkeepers at two Grantham stores foiled a Northampton man trying to pay for goods with a forged £20 note.

Ian Clement, of Waingrove, Northampton, admitted two charges of using counterfeit money after he was arrested in Grantham on January 31.

Clement, 29, first walked into Costcutter in Springfield Road and attempted to pay for goods with the note. However, the cashier immediately realised the money was not genuine and refused the sale, handing Clement back the note.

Clement then went into Tuffies in Westgate where his ruse was again spotted by an eagle-eyed shopassistant. This time the police were called and Clement was arrested.

Daniel Paulson, prosecuting, said: “In interview Clement said he had been given three fake notes by a friend who he had sold a television to.

“He threw two away but kept the third. He knew he should have handed it in but did not.”

Magistrates decided the case was too serious and so sent it to Lincoln Crown Court.

Clement was given bail.

Drinking a single pint of Scrumpy Jack cider cost a motorist his driving licence for three years.

Damian Shaw, of Redmile Walk, Grantham, admitted drink-driving after being stopped by police in Guildhall Street in Grantham. As he had previously been banned from driving for being over the limit in 2008, Shaw was handed a mandatory three-year ban.

The court heard how Shaw, 32, was only just over the breath limit so was able to take a second test of either urine or blood. The urine test showed 112 microgrammes of alcohol - the limit is 107.

Giles Tyas, defending, said: “He had one pint of Scrumpy Jack. If he had had another drink, such as a lager, instead he probably would have been under the limit.

“Most people would think after one pint they would be okay but it depends. People ask me how much they can drink and still be under the limit and I say it depends on how you are built and what you drink and in this case he had not eaten either.”

However, chair of magistrates Ian McDonnell had little time for this argument.

He said: “If I was a solicitor and someone asked me how much I could drink without losing my licence I would say nothing and I’m certain Mr Shaw is thinking that himself now.”

Shaw was disqualified from driving for three years and fined £280. He must also pay a £28 surcharge and £85 costs.

A woman who already owes the court more than £600 faces paying off a further £95 after admitting a public order offence.

Nicola Coggin, of Templeton Way, Caythorpe, was arrested by police after they responded to a call to a disturbance in Larch Close, Grantham.

Officers responding found Coggin outside a block of flats shouting and swearing up at someone in a top floor flat.

Coggin, 35, was asked to calm down but continued shouting and swearing and was arrested.

Coggin, defending herself, was asked if she would like to say anything about the offence but replied: “There’s nothing to say.” Coggin was fined £35 and ordered to pay costs of £40 and a £20 surcharge. Chair of magistrates Ian McDonnell told Coggin: “Can I suggest you just avoid places where you are going to kick-off.”