St Barnabas Hospice hosted Probus 88 for a charity donation presentation party. President, Robert Hardwick, presented cheques for £150 each to St Barnabas Hospice, St Wulfram’s Church Spire Repair Fund and Grantham Talking Newspaper for the Blind.

Tina Dingley, representing the hospice thanked Probus 88 for its continued support. Chairman of Grantham Talking Newspaper, Sue Taylor, said the service they provide is entirely free and is run by unpaid volunteers and relies on donations, bequests and fund-raising activities for its income.

Mr Hardwick said that Probus 88 is a luncheon club for retired, professional and businessmen and not activley involved in charity fund-raising work.

However, members will recommend a donation to a local charity when funds allow.

Here’s a look at what clubs and groups in Grantham have been up to.

Winners

Bridge Club

Last week’s winners were Martin Grant and John Ronan and Carol Fisher and Martin Mellor on Monday, and Gaby Leigh and Jim Steele and Deidra Pickup and Liz Jackson on Tuesday.

In the Leicestershire League, Division 1, Grantham A lost 3-9 to Loughborough, and in Division 4, Grantham lost 4-8 to Loughborough B.

The club meets at the Sports Pavilion, Barrowby, on Monday and Tuesday, with play starting at 7.15pm. Anyone interested in playing should contact Irene Pacey (Tel: 01949 843138).

Good Friday

Churches Together

The traditional March of Witness will take place on Good Friday, March 29, when everyone will first gather at St Wulfram’s Church at 10.15am.

From there they will walk to St Peter’s Hill, outside the Guildhall, where the mayor, Coun Ian Stokes, will read the Bible lesson. Afterwards everyone will move to the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre, where the Rev Andy Scholes will give the address. Everyone is invited to join in the singing of the hymns. Free hot cross buns will be given out.

Therapy

Feel Good Friday

Every Friday is Feel Good Friday between 10am and noon. Qualified professionals Dr Sobhag Shah and Colin Porter provide both support and an opportunity to meet and chat with others experiencing similar emotional issues.

Contact Colin (Tel: 07908 744399) or Sobhag (Tel: 07877 461402) for more details.

Talk

Ladies Probus Club

Vice-president, Jenny Watson, welcomed 41 members to Belton Park Golf Club on Tuesday, March 12, and installed Maggie Pritchard, Heather Taylor and Sally Taylor as new members.

After lunch, members were addressed by Eric Farthing, who gave an insight into the life of German women in the 1930s. He was thanked by Angela McGown.

Next meeting is on Tuesday, April 9, which is the annual invitation lunch. Speaker will be Richard Huddard on the topic ‘Vets and Pets’.

Any retired business or professional ladies interested in joining the club are invited to contact the secretary, Sue Whiting (Tel: 565307), for information.

Theatre visit

Thursday Club

Members of St Anne’s Thursday Club spent an enjoyable evening watching a delightful version of The Wizard of Oz at the Guildhall Arts Centre.

At next month’s meeting, held in St Anne’s Scout Hall, Betty Elmer will be making a visit in the guise of Queen Victoria. New members are welcome.

Shop visit

St John’s Fellowship

Nineteen members attended the March meeting.

Leader, Jenny Twycross, reminded everyone about the Archdeaconry service at St John’s Church on Tuesday, May 21, when the theme will be 20th Century Women’s Fashion. She asked particularly for items from the 1940s.

Several members attended Harrowby Singers’ presentation of The Wizard of Oz at the Guildhall Arts Centre.

The speaker at the meeting was Roger Graves, who gave an interesting talk about the work of the Rotary Club in Grantham. He explained how the annual Swimarathon event raised funds for charities and groups in the local community. He also spoke of the Global Swimarathon, which achieved an entry in The Guiness Book of Records, as well as supporting the End Polio campaign.

The next meeting on Tuesday, April 9, will take place at the Bon Marche shop in Grantham.

Speaker

Tuesday Club

Members next meet on Tuesday, April 2, at the Shepherd Room, behind ChristChurch, Finkin Street, at 1.45pm. There will be a guest speaker, whose subject will be pre-arranged funerals.

Mainly an over 50s group, members enjoy quizzes and have interesting speakers. New members are welcome, admission is £3 per meeting or subscriptions are £20 or £30 a couple. To find out more contact Joan (Tel: 07930 523958).

More than 250 gymnasts from 19 local primary and six secondary schools competed in the 26th Grantham Schools Championships at The Meres leisure centre last Sunday.

Walton Girls retained both the under-13 and under-16 girls’ team titles, taking the senior age group from KGGS by virtue of scoring higher on the vault. KGGS were also runners-up in the under-13s, ahead of West Grantham Academy.

King’s School narrowly won both boys’ team titles, with Priory Ruskin runners-up in the under-13 event.

In the under-9 girls’ team competition, National won by four clear marks, ahead of Cliffedale and Allington & Sedgebrook. St Mary’s took top spot in the under-11s, from Huntingtower and third placed National.

St Mary’s A triumphed in the primary boys’ team competition, with a strong looking National finishing second.

Individual results (top three): Under 7 girls – 1 Maisie Smart – Dudley House 16.8, 2 Olivia Celik – Cliffedale 16.6, 3 Gigi Granger – Ingoldsby 15.4; Under 7 Boys – 1 Christopher Smith-Rasmussen – Allington & Sedgebrook 16.6, 2 Charlie Morley – Ingoldsby 16.3, 3 Lucas Birkby – St Mary’s 16.2; Under 9 Girls – 1 Neeve Pexton – National 18.6, 2 Isla Pexton – National 18.4, 3= Jessica Garment – Grantham Preparatory 17.9, 3= Taylor Eaton-Gray – National 17.9; Under 9 Boys – 1 Ryan Collingwood – St Mary’s 17.5, 2 Jamal Jallow – National 17.4, 3 Joe Taylor – Cliffedale 17.3; Under 11 Girls – 1 Helena Procter – Long Bennington 18.8, 2 Molly Smith – Isaac Newton 18.5, 3= Jessica Leigh-Tamplin – Huntingtower 18.0, 3= Lexi Reddish – St Mary’s 18.0, 3= Phoebe Richards-Cole – Cliffedale 18.0; Under 11 Boys – Oliver Denton – St Anne’s 17.5, 2 Kyle Davidson – St Mary’s 17.1, 3 Kaan Celik – Cliffedale 16.8; Primary Girls Advanced – 1 Charlotte Mears – Huntingtower 37.9, 2 Elle Jayne Booton – Huntingtower 37.6, 3 Scarlett Heaton – St Mary’s 37.3; Under 13 Boys – 1 Cameron Chow – King’s 18.1, 2 Jack Gurney – Priory Ruskin 17.8, 3 Elliot Smith- Rasmussen – King’s 17.3; Under 13 Girls – 1 Lucy Valentine – Walton 18.2, 2= Tia Whitfield – Walton 17.7, 2= Phoebe Collins – Walton 17.7, 4 Imogen Hands – KGGS 17.6; Under 16 Boys – 1 Jacob Armstrong – King’s 18.4, 2 Anthony Matthews – Priory Ruskin 18.3, 3 Tom Wharmby – King’s 18.0; Under 16 Girls – 1= Emily Aldous-Johnson – Walton 17.8, 1= Ellie Harding – KGGS 17.8, 3 Asia O’Sullivan – KGGS 17.2, 4 Kenya Watson – SWRA 16.8; Secondary Girls Advanced – 1 Imogen Gregory – Walton 38.0, 2 Hannah Longland – Walton 37.4, 3 Megan Stott – KGGS 37.3.

ADD PIX

The National School under-9 girls finished first in the under-9 girls, the under-9 boys were runners-up and the under-11 girls came third. Photo: 044B

Champions Walton Girls under-16s are, from left – Amy Rose, Hannah Longland, Imogen Gregory, Chloe Kirby and Emily Aldous-Johnson.

Under-13 girls championships Walton Girls are from left, back – Phoebe Collins, Tia Whitfield and Aleksandra Madejska; front – Lucy Valentine and Charlotte Smith.

Grantham Swimming Club delivered their best performance to date in the Lincolnshire County ASA Championships this year.

Swimmers broke their own record regarding the number of medals won in the club’s history with 29 gold medals, 30 silver medals and 36 bronze medals. Leah Roughan swam some phenomenal races, not only winning most of them, but also becoming overall county champion four times over. The club also achieved four national standard times.

Grantham swimmers also qualified for the Midland Championships, to be held in Coventry later in the year, in 36 races. Leah Roughan, Hannah Ford, Sophie Culpin, Bella Williams, William Hawkes and Thomas Lewis all qualified as they had hoped, but it was 11-year-old Amelia Peters who surprised the team with her great performance by achieving a regional qualification time for the first time.

Club members also broke a number of club records: Leah Roughan (13), William Hawkes (8), Thomas Lewis (3), Bella Williams (1), Hannah Ford (1) and Lara Hawkes (1).

Others who delivered fantastic performances and won medals were Abigail Farkas, siblings Kendall and Emma Wilkins, Harry Fowler, Maddie Barnes, George Berwick, Molly Fowler, Harriett Lander, Eleanor Lythgoe and Hannah Underwood.

+ If you would like to be part of Grantham Swimming Club’s successful and growing swim team, e-mail granthamsc@gmail.com

More snow is forecast overnight in the Grantham area adding to several inches which fell last night and during the day.

Lincolnshire County Council says its gritters will be out again tonight covering the county’s main roads, but is warning motorists to remain careful when driving, even on gritted roads.

The Met Office says temperatures will drop to as low as -3 degrees overnight, but feeling more like -9 degrees, causing ice to form on roads and potentially treacherous driving conditions tomorrow. Freezing temperatures will remain on Sunday but no snow is forecast during the day.

Main roads in the town have been generally clear today, but police are asking people not to drive unless absolutely necessary. This morning a lorry jack-knifed on Occupation Road, Gonerby. The road was blocked for more than an hour before it could be removed. Traffic was struggling to drive up Harrowby Lane this morning following the overnight snowfall and had to be stopped travelling uphill by police for a while.

This afternoon’s football match between Stocksbridge Park Steels and Grantham Town was called off because of snow.

The future of the Blockbusters store in London Road, Grantham, looks safe after it was announced today that a buyer had been found for the threatened chain.

The DVD and games rental chain went into administration in January. The Grantham store was kept open while administrators looked for a buyer.

Restructuring specialists Gordon Brothers Europe have bought the chain which raises the likelihood that 2,000 jobs and 264 stores around the country will be saved. About 200 stores were closed earlier this year.

Joint administrator Lee Manning said: “This transaction provides Blockbuster with a future in the UK and we owe a special vote of thanks to all the company’s employees, suppliers and customers for helping us rescue the business.”

The chain has been sold for an undisclosed fee.

I would like to thank the caring lady who came to my aid when I had a fall in Asda’s foyer on Friday, March 8, and the burly gentleman, who lifted me up single-handedly.

It is so nice to know there are people who care about others, and yes, my ankle is broken.

Valerie Smith

Grantham

Children at a village primary school have a new before- and after-school club.

The club, which is called Penguins, has been opened at Croxton Kerrial Primary School and also makes use of the village hall.

Headteacher Anne Harvey said: “The need for the club arose after the sad and untimely death of a local child minder, who had cared for many of the Croxton Kerrial children and whose own children had attended our school.

“The club has been named after her favourite animal, penguins, in her memory.”

At the official opening ceremony, Priest in Charge the Rev Rowena Bass blessed the new club and cut the ribbon to formally open it.

Children, staff and members of the community are pictured at the opening ceremony in the village hall. Photo: 022D

People have been warned not to smoke in the home when tired or while drinking after it was revealed that every fatal house fire in the county last year was caused by cigarettes.

Figures revealed by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service show that while the total number of accidental dwelling fires fell to 212 compared with 365 in 2011 and 380 in 2010, fatalities rose from one to three. The service said that often these fires were started by people who fell asleep as they were smoking.

The figures show that last year one in 13 accidental fires in the home were caused by smoking materials. Debbie Robinson, deputy community fire safety manager, said: “These accidental fires often start when people are at their most vulnerable, which is why they are so often fatal.

“So, we are trying to encourage people to not smoke when feeling tired, especially in bed or lounging in a chair. And to remember that if they have been drinking alcohol or taking medication, they may feel drowsy.”

The fire service advised smokers to always use an ashtray, never smoke in bed and make sure the contents of ashtrays were completely extinguished.

The A15 north of Folkingham has been reopened after a car and lorry got stuck and blocked the road.

A snow plough arrived at the scene to clear a route. Lincolnshire Road Policing Unit now says the road is clear for cars.

A Grantham man tried to get rid of drugs after being chased by police.

Stephen Birch, 30, of Princess Drive, appeared in court on Monday and admitted drug possession and the theft of a bicycle. Jim Clare, procesuting, told the court that Birch had been caught by police after they tried to stop a car in which he was travelling on February 3. The car stopped and a number of people got out and tried to run away. Birch threw away a suitcase before being caught as he tried to climb over a wall. The suitcase contained £10 of cannabis bush.

Mr Clare said Birch stole the bicycle after it was left outside a shop in Wharf Road, Grantham. He was stopped while riding it soon afterwards on Springfield Road. He was found to be carrying a quantity of the drugs MCAT and cannabis. Birch also admitted failing to surrender to custody and the breach of a community order.

Bill Fraser, defending, said Birch had been due to appear in court a few days earlier but was late and and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Mr Fraser said Birch has been detained unnecessarily, but admitted all the offences.

Birch was given a jail sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay £80 victim surcharge and £85 costs.

A mother of two stole a bottle of wine from a Co-op store when she was depressed.

Hayley Broadhurst, 27, of Belton Lane, Grantham, had already paid for some items in the store on Princess Drive and then took the bottle of Pinot Grigio and left without paying.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, told the court the theft was recorded on CCTV and Broadhurst was identified. She admitted to police she stole the wine worth £5.49.

Defending, Rob Arthur said Broadhurst had recently lost a child and was depressed. He said: “She accepts that this was the reason she was not herself. She seems to have got herself back on track except for this incident.”

Broadhurst was given a 12 month conditional discharge and was told to pay £85 costs, a £15 surcharge and £5.49 in compensation.

A teenager was stabbed in the leg as two young men were “larking about” while smoking outside a pub.

Christopher Atter, 18, was stabbed in the leg after his assailants joined him for a smoke outside the Barcode pub in Westgate, Grantham.

Benjamin Garratt, 19, of Lime Grove, Grantham, admitted possessing a knife in a public place and assault by beating. Andrew Grant, 22, of Heathfield Road, Grantham, admitted possessing a knife and inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.

Prosecuting Jim Clare said victim Mr Atter, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, was at the pub on November 30 after 9pm and went outside for a cigarette.

The defendants sat next to him and Garratt took out a lock knife and started messing about with it.

He started waving the blade about in front of Grant. Atter later said that Garratt swung the knife towards his stomach and tore a six-inch tear in his jacket.

He did not want to confront Garratt for fear of being stabbed.

Garratt then passed the knife to Grant who pressed the knife into Mr Atter’s right thigh and then moved it across his leg. Mr Clare quoted Mr Atter saying: “I could feel it inside my leg. It was damp with blood. There was a deep cut in my leg.”

Mr Atter went out of the pub to call 999, but the police saw him and took him to A&E where he was treated for a two-inch laceration and needed six stitches.

Mr Atter was quoted as saying: “At no point did I give him cause to treat me this way. The assault was totally unprovoked. Since the incident I have not been able to sleep properly. I do not feel confident to go out alone. I have decided I want to move and I would feel more comfortable away from the Grantham area.”

Rob Arthur, defending Garratt, said Garratt had known Mr Atter for over a year.

That day Garratt had unwittingly taken the knife home from work where he was using it to cut cables. He went into town that evening where he was due to work later in a bar.

Mr Arthur said: “He accepts he took out the knife to show how sharp it was. This appears to be nothing more than reckless behaviour. Mr Garratt had also got two cut marks across his stomach. They were larking around quite recklessly.”

Mr Clare said Garratt had lost his job as a result of what happened and it had a significant effect on him financially.

Judith Armstrong, representing Grant, said what had happened that night “started as a joke and ended with sad consequences that could not have been imagined or intended. It was as a result of recklessness and by foolish individuals who were being rather playful. These are not the type of people generally involved in any criminal behaviour.”

Garratt and Grant, neither of whom have previous convictions, were committed to Crown Court for sentencing as the bench said it did not have the powers to sentence them for such a serious crime. No date was set. Garratt was given bail on condition that he did not contact Christopher Atter by any means including a third party and did not visit a specific address.

Grant was bailed on the same conditions and also on the condition he does not visit a further address.

The father of a five-month-old child assaulted his partner only days after they split up.

Louis Michael Kidd, 26, of Harrowby Road, Grantham, admitted criminal damage and common assault. Jim Clare, prosecuting, said the couple had been together for 18 months but had broken up a few weeks ago when Kidd’s partner threw him out and he went to stay with his parents.

Mr Clare told the court that Kidd’s partner had said on February 23 she was in her kitchen when she saw him at their front door.

They started arguing and Kidd kicked the door several times. His father was due to pick up the child and when he arrived at the house he said it was all right to open the door, but when she opened it a few inches Kidd returned and started pushing it. There was a dent in the door and cracks in the panel around the window. Later that evening she received abusive text messages from Kidd calling her a “s***” and saying “you will pay”. As a result she got a girlfriend to stay over at her address.

That night Kidd’s partner and her friend stayed in the same room and the next day they were woken to find Kidd in the house. She said he was stood at the bedroom door being very abusive, calling her a “slag” and a “w****”. She claimed he grabbed her hand, pulled her out of bed and threw her against the wall. Her friend shouted to him so he would know his partner was not sleeping with another man.

Rory Macmillan, defending, said the couple had argued over how their daughter should be cared for. He said she had suffered from post-natal depression and he was travelling away a lot before being laid off work. He and his father had gone to the house together, but when Kidd knocked on the door she told him to go away or she would call the police. Kidd claimed that he had received abusive texts from his partner. The court heard that she had sent far more texts and they were more abusive than his.

Mr Macmillan said when Kidd went to the house he used a key to get in with the intention of getting some sterilised bottles for his daughter. In the bedroom he pulled at the duvet and she fell out of bed and on to the floor. He swiped at her but did not remember if there was contact.

The bench called for a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until April 16. Kidd was bailed on condition he did not contact his partner and did not go to a named address in Grantham.

A man who stole a purse from the trolley of a customer in Morrisons, Grantham, wrote a letter to the court apologising for the theft.

Tyrone John Lee, 47, of Larch Close, Grantham, admitted the theft of the purse on February 22 in the supermarket.

Prosecuting, Jim Clare told the court that the victim was bending down to pick up an item and had taken her eye off her purse on the trolley for a short time when Lee took it. Another customer saw him take it and pointed him out. He immediately denied taking it, but a till assistant had seen him drop the purse and he was identified.

Chris Pye-Smith, defending, said: “He does feel very guilty about this offence. There was no real need to do what he did. It was an opportunistic offence. It was unsophisticated and spur of the moment.”

Mr Pye-Smith said Lee had a previous record and much of it was drug-related.

Lee was fined £75 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £20 and costs of £85.

Grantham Amateur Boxing Club junior heavyweight prodigy Sam Stedman carried on his winning record in his second bout at Immingham Leisure Centre last Friday.

Sixteen-year-old Sam was up against the more experienced Luke Dobbs (Immingham ABC) who was fighting in front of his home crowd in his fourth bout.

The fight started with Dobbs searching for the big bomb but Sam weathered the storm and began to pick off his opponent.

The home fighter began to become frustrated with the Grantham man’s style as the second round wore on.

Grantham ABC head coach Dean Fardell said: “Sam does the basic things and does them well.”

Dobbs started to tire in the third round as he became more and more desperate. Sam began to catch his opponent more, moving in and out with some choice shots.

Sam went on to win the fight on a unanimous points decision.

Dean said: “It’s his second fight and his second win. Sam did the job and did well with a partisan crowd who were a bit hostile towards us.

“Sam’s a good lad, disciplined, and the future’s bright for him.”

A clubber who was thrown out for threatening behaviour ran back and threw an advertising sign at the doormen.

Jamie David Barratt, 25, was at the Pulse nightclub in Westgate, Grantham, where he was asked his age by a doorman. Prosecutor Jim Clare said the situation seemed to be sparked off when Barratt was asked for his ID. The defendant then said to the doorman “I am older than you, you ****”.

Barratt continued to be abusive as he queued inside the club and was told he was being thrown out. The doorman grabbed him by the shoulders and he fell back over a female clubber, before being thrown out on to the street. Barratt threw several punches at the doorman and when outside ran back at the bouncers, throwing the sign.

The doorman said he could feel blood around his eye after being struck by another clubber at the time. Police restrained Barratt who told them he had been attacked by some bouncers.

Chris Pye-Smith, defending, said Barratt regretted his actions. He said: “He accepts this from the outset. However he does say when he was first spoken to about his age he made a comment which he believes was only banter but the doorman interpreted it in a different way. He does not remember making any further comments.”

Barratt admitted using threatening words or behaviour and was fined £225. He was also told to pay a victim surcharge of £23 and costs of £85.

Foggy weather meant that children at a village school missed out on the excitement of a visit by the air ambulance.

Pupils at Little Gonerby School have been learning about emergency services and had been looking forward to the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance dropping in at the school earlier this month.

However, poor visibility prevented the visit but class teacher Sarah Preece, who organised the day, is hoping to arrange for the ambucopter to call at a later date.

She said: “We are hoping it will be able to come after the Easter holidays, when the weather should be better.”

But all was not lost. Emma Young, Lincolnshire fund-raiser for the air ambulance, and paramedic Roger Linnell did visit the school to talk to the children about the service and show them the equipment used by the paramedics. They are pictured with pupils. Photo: 019D

Pupils at Sandon School in Grantham have been using a new piece of interactive equipment provided by a fundraising effort.

It takes the form of a projector which sends life-like images on to floors or tables and which move when they are touched.

Youngsters at the special school are already developing their sensory skills through using the £10,000 apparatus, bought by the Friends of Sandon and Ambergate PTA group.

It will be available to use for children at Ambergate Sports College as well as Sandon School.

James Ellis, a manager at both schools, said: “It’s an amazing piece of equipment which we have been trying to get for the schools for some time. It can project underwater images on to a floor or table and when you touch it you can see the waves ripple. It can also show an ice scene and you see and hear the ice cracking. It’s a real benefit to our sensory pupils who are getting so much out of it with the sessions we have had already.”

A driver and his passenger were seriously injured when a vehicle swerved in front of them, causing a crash which flipped their car over and rolled it three times on the A1 near Grantham.

Peter Moller, 53, of Boston Road, Sleaford, moved his car into the outside lane even though he was only doing 30mph causing another vehicle to hit him and roll over on to its roof, said Jim Clare, prosecuting.

The driver of the crashed vehicle said he had nowhere to go and could not take avoiding action.

His wife was asleep at the time and sustained serious head injuries and was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, and still suffers headaches. The driver suffers post-traumatic distress.

Defending Moller, Judith Armstrong said that at the time of the crash, near the B6403 junction, it 
was raining.

She said Moller believed he was driving at 50 to 60mph and he moved into the outside lane because traffic was slowing down in front of him.

“He could not remember if he had checked his blind spot.

“He has had no accident in 33 years of driving and it has been a shock to him to be involved in these court proceedings.”

The court heard that Moller, from Denmark, was working on an energy project near Sleaford and needed to drive every day for his job, and to collect colleagues arriving at the airport from Denmark. It was a “momentary lapse of concentration” that led to the crash.

Moller’s licence was endorsed with five points and he was fined £470.

He was also ordered to pay £43 costs and a victim surcharge of £47.