Open Farm Sunday is this weekend, so why not head over to Great Wood Farm in Boothby Pagnell and see what farming is all about?

Families are invited to go along, free of charge, and go on tractor and trailer rides, get up close to pigs, piglets, horses, calves, ducklings, sheep and lambs, and more. There will be displays and a collection of farm machinery. The open day is on 10am-4pm.

Information: www.greatwoodfarmeyc.co.uk/ofs

Belvoir League

The Vale of Belvoir bowling team defeated the League of Country Bowling Clubs in the first of a series of four matches.

Vale of Belvoir’s victory was by a very slim margin, 90 shots to 88, with each team winning three rinks.

The next match will be at Knipton next Sunday.

Belvoir League

Two-wood

Harlaxton 117

Bottesford 71

Harlaxton names first – K. Smith, F. Rivers and D. Hill beat P. Hewitt, S. Reeh and R. Barney 38-6; M. Nix, P. Johnson and C. Johnson beat M. Payne, R. Payne and A. Palmer 31-15; R. Barker, J. Barker and P. McHugh beat J. Millington, P. Goodson and L. Hamer 29-17; M. Laws, T. Asher and P. Clark lost to B. Hawes, B. Shores and M. Emmo 33-19.

Three-wood

Harlaxton 72

Long Bennington 71

Harlaxton names first – G. Raistrick, T. Asher and K. Smith beat S. Griffith, L. Halshere and R. Simpson 19-11; P. McHugh, P. Johnson and C. Johnson beat J. Rorrey, S. Marrs and P. Dallaway 19-15; M. Palmer, A. Newton and P. Clark lost to R. Cay, J. Orrey and P. Croffah 25-16; M. Nix, E. Clark and M. Laws lost to P. Halshere, J. Connoey and N. Smith 20-18.

Grantham League

Three-wood

Grantham 64

Vacu-Lug B 34

Grantham names first – D. Rainsford, L. Anderson and Joe Lewis beat B. Carter, I. Kettle and M. Allen 28-14; R. Sumner, T. Sumner and N. Smith beat S. Tilley, F. Atter and C. Abbott 15-11; K. Whatmore, T. Asher and Jay Lewis beat D. Williamson, I. Robotham and S. Odams 21-9.

Freedom & Fellowship

First leg

Swayfield 67

Grantham 83

Swayfield names first – B. Cooper, R. Selby and W. Flowers drew 16-16 with R. Sumner, D. Rainsford and N. Smith; J. Bainbridge, B. Marston and S. Harwood beat B. Hooper, T. Gostick and T. Oxley 18-13; I. Richardson, M. Sharp and N. Davis beat J. Asher, J. Duke and Jay Lewis 20-18; M. Lyon and M. Mumby lost to T. Sumner, T. Asher and Joe Lewis 13-36.

Lincs ASC

Long Bennington A 64

Grantham 46

Long Bennington names first – A. Ripley, J. Morris and N. Smith lost to J. Asher, D. Rainsford and T. Asher 15-21; J. R. Orrey, J. Orrey and M. Dring beat D. Pimm, J. Duke and Joe Lewis 20-17; P. Griffith, P. Dalloway and D. Woods beat B. Hodder, R. Smith and Jay Lewis 29-8.

National Two Fours

Grantham 32

St Giles 41

Grantham names first – T. Berridge, L. Anderson, J. Stanfield and A. Brunton lost to N. East, J. Withers, B. Day and I. Walker 21-14; B. Smith, T. Sumner, Joe Lewis and N. Orrey lost to D. Skayman, J. Bean, S. Clark and C. Barks 20-18.

Corporation Doubles

M. Lyon lost to Jay Lewis 23-12, A. Stafford AW v K. Lilley CON, J. Simpson lost to R. Lewis 26-14, G. Taylor CON v A. Blackburn AW.

Hutchinson Cup

G. Taylor beat A. Blackburn 21-6.

Barnstone saloon car racer Garrie Whittaker maintained his lead in the Kumho Tyres BMW Championship despite suffering his first defeat of the season in the lastest two rounds at Oulton Park last weekend.

It was a busy Bank Holiday Monday for Garrie and the rest of the 28-car grid, with qualifying and two races in one day.

Garrie qualified his BMW E36 M3 first on the grid with an average speed of 85.93mph for the 2.22-mile Island circuit.

He led the first race comfortably in dry conditions for several laps but lost power with what later turned out to be a throttle cable issue. However, he was still able to finish the race in third place.

With the problem resolved and rain now falling steadily, Garrie took his place on the second row of the grid and made a good start, taking the race lead on lap three. He continued to make progress on the field and took the chequered flag by nearly five seconds from the closest chaser.

Garrie currently leads the championship with 88 points, six ahead of Mathew Fielding.

Barrowby Magpies under-8s are pictured in their new match kit after they received financial help from new sponsor Chris Bealby’s North Lodge Racing.

The Magpies are still looking for a few more unattached players (Year 3) for next season when they will be playing development matches and trophy events under the Grantham Youth League umbrella.

Barrowby FC is an FA Charter Standard club and offers football for boys and girls from under-7 upwards.

For more information contact Dinos on 07841 191937 or visit www.barrowbyfc.com

Grantham and District Darts League’s finals and presentation night will take place at the Westgate Club next Friday (June 14), from 7.30pm until late.

Trophies will be presented by Lincolnshire County Darts Organisation president John Stanton.

For inquiries contact Marie Jones on 01476 571587.

Buckminster School will hold its summer fete and dog show on Saturday, June 15.

The fete starts at 1pm and will feature traditonal games such as hook a duck, smash the crockery, chocolate tombola, a raffle, bottle stall and splat the rat. There will be a bouncy castle and face painting.

Also, visitors can enjoy a Grasmere sausage roll or burger for lunch from the barbecue and wash down a piece of homemade cake with a cup of tea.

A cup cake baking competition and prettiest cup and saucer competition will take place.

The family dog show will start at 2pm with classes including best puppy, best bitch, best dog, best veteran, best child handler, waggiest tail and sausage run. Winners of each class go through to Best in Show. Entries taken from 1.30pm, £2 per class or three classes for £5. The show is sponsored by Oakham Vet Hospital with prizes for each class.

More details from Sarah on 07790 385977.

A Ferrari has been involved in a crash with another vehicle on London Road, Grantham, at the junction with Wharf Road.

Police attended the scene and removed the cars. The incident did not appear to be serious, but traffic was held up on St Peter’s Hill.

Grantham lad Louis Maier made a guest appearance on BBC Three’s “Sweat The Small Stuff” on Tuesday night - and caused gasps from the live audience.

Louis was invited on to show off his tattoo, featured in the Journal, showing Margaret Thatcher fused with an ice cream cone.

But instead he stole the show with his latest piece of body art - created just hours before his appearance on the show by tattooist Darren “Paddy” Paddison - a portrait of the presenter of the show and Radio One DJ Nick Grimshaw.

We caught up with Louis this week to discuss his new-found stardom.

Q) When did you have your first tattoo?

A) I can’t really tell you that...it was illegal at the time.

Q) Okay...what was it?

A) I think the first tattoo I had...it was so long ago...I think I was 17 and had a little dragon on my arm.

Q) Were you hooked straight away? Did more soon follow?

A) No, I didn’t get another one for about five years then I went out of town - this was before I met Paddy - and had a bit of work done. Then I heard about Paddy and what he was doing and he sorted my sleeve out. Pretty much every week after that I was in getting another tattoo done.

Q) Now you’re a tattooist yourself...

A) I’ve been doing an apprenticeship since April, 2011 - which is how it should be done. I wanted to do it properly. I would say I’ve only just stopped doing the apprenticeship to be honest but I’m still learning.

Q) How did the Thatcher tattoo come about?

A) I was toying with ideas and then Paddy drew it up and put it with Mr Whippy and I thought it was too comical not to do it. ..and it’s got me on TV now.

Q) How did you come to appear on the BBC Three show?

A) They got in touch last week, we filmed it last Friday and it was on TV on Tuesday night.

Q) The idea was to show off the Thatcher tattoo but you had a surprise too...

A) Yeah we worked on the new tattoo at 11pm the night before. I thought it would get a reaction and it gives me something to remember the day.

Q) Nick Grimshaw looked pretty shocked when he saw his face on your leg...

A) He didn’t know about the new one! It was kept secret from him and it was up to me how I revealed it. But he loved it. He was talking about it on his radio show the next day. I think he was shocked at first - anybody would be shocked - but I asked him and he said he loved it. He wasn’t offended. He thought it was really nice.

Q) Did you enjoy the experience?

A) Yeah I did. It was an all expenses paid trip down there. The filming took five hours though for a 30 minute show! And they cut out a lot of the funniest bits but there’s an extended version on Friday night so I’ll have to watch. Nick Grimshaw was really sharp and witty and the Geordie comedian (Chris Ramsey) was absolutely brilliant but they cut most of his stuff

Q) Any more portraits planned?

A) Not at the moment. It was a good joke and a good experience...and I got to meet Frankie from The Saturdays so it can’t be bad!

Paedophile Richard Bullimore is still pleading his innocence more than a decade after he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the rape and sexual abuse of young girls.

Following the protest on Uplands Drive on Sunday afternoon in which people called for him to leave town, the Journal spoke to Bullimore.

He claims he was set up and said: “I am innocent and that’s all there is to it. I did 10 years in prison for a crime I didn’t commit.”

In February 2002, Bullimore, who was 53 at the time, was convicted of four sample charges of rape and also found guilty of five charges of indecent assault. He denied all the offences which related to incidents between January 1986 and March 27, 2001.

The prosecution said four girls had made complaints against Bullimore and all were under the age of 12.

Bullimore, who was released from prison early last year, said he wanted to move away from Grantham with the help of the council.

See today’s Journal for more reports on this story.

Colsterworth Colts are pictured proudly showing off their new away kit, sponsored by Eden Wine Bar’s Garden Room Restaurant.

The Colts have been competing successfully in the Peterborough and District Junior Alliance League and are now looking to sign unattached players for the forthcoming season at under-13 level (Year 8).

They currently attract players from villages all around Grantham, including Corby Glen, Boothby Pagnell, South Witham, the Bythams and Colsterworth.

For more information please contact Phil on 07714 106194 or Rachel for other age groups on 07710 855731.

There were birdies and eagles galore during the Pheasant Cup as Ian Braime equalled the Stoke Rochford course record with a stunning gross 63 (-7).

After a strong finish that saw him birdie the par four 15th hole, eagle the par five 16th, and birdie the par three 17th, Ian needed to hole a 12ft putt on the last hole for a 62 gross (-8) and a new course record. Unfortunately for him, his putt just missed.

However, Ian’s stableford score of 43 points was more than enough to see him take first place overall, with Glen Barlow finishing second on 41 and Michael Bailey (40) third.

The event also doubled up as a charity fundraiser for Help for Heroes.

l In the Golden Jubilee Trophy – newly presented this year to celebrate 50 years of Stoke Rochford Estates handing the management of the course and the club to golf members on April 1, 1963 – was won by club member David Esswood and his visiting partner.

l The June Monthly Medal was a competitive affair with Ben Rawson (28 handicap) winning with net 67. Charles Donnison was runner-up, and Richard Skidmore not far behind in third.

l For more information visit www.stokerochfordgolfclub.co.uk

BELTON PARK

Belton Park first team triumphed 4-2 at Boston in the South Lincs League.

Belton Park defeated South Kyme away in the Elsham Foursomes at the second extra hole, and are now face a trip to Market Rasen in the next round.

l The Bramley singles team defeated Woodhall Spa away and will now visit Blankney in the next round.

l The Over-55s Am-Am competition was won by a team of Wes Wright (BPGC), Irene Cogger (BPGC), Joe Scott (Toft) and Mairead Scott (Toft). Runners-up were Rob Bartlett, Ben Bayliss, Martin Hall & Roger Davis, all BPGC.

l The Quincentenary Cup was won by Steve Mitchell and Danny Smith with nett 65 in a Greensome medal format. Runners-up were John Thomson and Greg Begy with nett 66.

l Belton Park’s Club team beat Seacroft at home in a friendly match.

l Saturdays Pros Day was won by Leonard Williams and Nigel Harris with 44 points. Runners-up were Jack Diment and Chris Haynes on 43.

Seniors’ section

Belton Park 5½

Newark 2½

Peter Brooks and Tony Robinson halved, Bill Brogan and Andrew Cookson won 4&3, Keith Ball and John Alsbury won 3&2, Colin Farrington and John Thompson lost 6&5, Willie Badraum and John Carey lost 2 down, Manny Barker and Alan Addis won 3&2, Brian Mole and Rick Alsbury won 4&3, Tony Noble and Michael Goodacre won 3&1.

BELTON WOODS

Sunday’s Help for Heroes was a full handicap stableford competition on the par 72 Lakes course and raised £300 for the charity.

Results: Division One - 1 Mike Hurst 41pt, 2 Rob Williams 39, 3 Glenn Weatherall 39 ocb; Division Two - 1 Sam Piggott 44, 2 David Lee 41, 3 Annan Galloway 38.

Seniors’ section

Captain Alan Lowen’s annual away day was at Scraptoft where his seniors contested the Hamilton Smith Trophy.

Results: 1 Bob Clarke 35pt, 2 Dave Inglis 33 ocb, 3 Phil Stannard 33, 4 Bob Blake 32 ocb, 5 Colin Thornton 32, 6 Alan Lowen 31. Over-75 Trophy - Ed Kitching. Nearest the pin - 6 John Sabin, 11 Tin Win, 12 (in two) Steve Hudson, 18 (in two) Mike Whitington. Best Value round - Les Shipstone.

Nottinghamshire

Belton Woods

Alan Lowen and John Sabin lost 1 down, George Forbes and Mike Whitington lost 4-3, Colin Thornton and Steve Hudson won 2-1, Ian Nisbett and John Bratt lost 8-6, Pat Stanford and Mick Hall won 2-1, John Williams and Phil Turrell lost 5-4, Les Astill and Dave Inglis lost 3-1, Henry Knight and Bob Blake won 1 up.

SUDBROOK MOOR

A seniors’ major competition, The Millennium Trophy, was won by Bob Watson.

Played over two roll-up rounds, Bob’s aggregate score came from second best in round one and best overall in the round two, beating nearest rival Ken Wingad by two.

Ken Jameson and Colin Henfrey finished third and fourth respectively, and Maurice Green was fifth. Over 36 holes, twos were recorded by Geoff Wilkins, John Morley and Alfie Kent.

Ladies’ section

Sudbrook Moor 2½

Nene Park 2½

Alison Reid and Amanda Roberts won 1 up, Trinette Speck and Linda Whittaker halved, Joan Alton and Shirley Gardiner won 3&2, Thea Law and Sue Hutton lost 3&2, Diane Leslie and Pat Bartlett lost 3&2.

Two members of Grantham ABC were in action at Leicester last Thursday night.

Light-welterweight Terry Bennett gave a good account of himself to win on a unanimous points decision against N. Lliyas of Hockwell Ring ABC.

Grantham coach Dean Fardell said: “He had three good rounds. It got a bit scruffy but he toughed it out and generally dominated.”

Fighting at the same weight, Jordan Davies made his debut against Tom Page (Leicester Fountain ABC).

Jordan lost on points but Dean was happy with his man: “It was a typical first fight.

“He kept walking on to jabs but in the second round he started to go forward and get under the jab. He did well and the best is yet to come.”

Recent Journal reports suggest to me that Lincolnshire Police has been transformed into a farce, rather than a force to be reckoned with, since the controversial new Commissioner elections.

Firstly, Chief Constable Neil Rhodes is suspended. Then he is not!Secondly, County Councillor Ray Wootten resigns as chairman of the Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel, after what is described as a disastrous appearance before MPs at the Home Affairs Committee.

Hardly has the dust had time to settle when Coun Wootten is named as chairman of Lincolnshire County Council.

Through all the mayhem, newly-elected Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick appears to carry on regardless.

Yet was it not his decision to suspend the Chief Constable in the first place, an act that was overturned by judicial review?

Also, I understand that the Police and Crime Panel is the body charged with holding the commissioner to account.

I wonder if they will ever get around to investigating whether it was his policies which were responsible for the craziest farce of all?

I refer, of course, to the removal of ‘bobbies’ off the beat, in Grantham if not the rest of the county, leaving the general public, taxpayers and all, without adequate police protection?

Now every day I see drivers parking illegally all over the town, drug dealers carrying on their illicit business whenever and wherever they like, pedestrians, lives threatened by cyclists on footpaths (including my own five times now at least), yobs intimidating or abusing pensioners in public and private and all kinds of other offences being blatantly committed.

None of this under the coppers’ noses, of course, as you hardly see a fully-fledged officer out of his car it seems.

Please can the frontline police-cutting perpetrator be brought to justice themselves, whoever they are, or at least forced into another embarrassing U-turn.

Unfortunately there is one final question which must be asked.

We’ve heard that a number of the new Police and Crime Commissioners across the country are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds employing a whole host of highly paid assistants, which we were not warned about prior to the election.

Could our own worthy commissioner please reassure us that he, at least, is not doing the same?

Peter Clawson

Welham Street, Grantham

I was walking my dog on Monday morning on the green off Shaw Road, and saw what looked like a golden eagle gliding above. It was absolutely huge, with a guessed wingspan of 6ft.

I Googled birds of prey and identified it as a golden eagle.

Has anyone else seen this huge bird as it was around for some time?

No other bird I checked could match its size whatsoever.

Wayne Norsworthy

By email

There is yet another loose drain cover halfway along Wharf Road and is probably due to the heavy traffic that travels along the route. Every time a vehicle goes over it, it rattles such a lot and is in need of repair.

Also, there used to be a keep clear yellow box junction at the entrance and exit to the bus station on Wharf Road, but after it was resufaced the boxes disappeared.

It is now difficult for buses to enter or exit the bus station as they are blocked by traffic.

Come on Lincolnshire County Council highways department, sort yourselves out and get this work done.

Alan Robinson

Dryden Close, Grantham

How can a family who have come up from Clacton, Essex, get a house here? (Journal, May 31).

This council has no responsibility for these people. They should have been sent back to where they came from, that’s the council’s own rules.

Furthermore, what about the hundreds of people on the housing and exchange lists? They have been waiting years, amassed thousands of points and they are still waiting. This sounds like double standards to me.

I am one of the many on the exchange list.

Mr M. Carlin

Chapel Lane, Foston

Grantham Town joint managers Gary Sucharewycz and Ian Robinson have pulled off something of a coup in signing one of the league’s trickiest strikers, after he was released by Matlock Town.

Massiah McDonald scored against the Gingerbreads last season, a season in which he bagged 18 goals as Matlock’s top marksman.

Sucharewycz said: “We felt we needed to get more goals into the forward line. Massiah certainly fits that mould. Every time he has played against me as a manager, he has got on the scoresheet.

“He has had a couple of sniffs from other clubs in the league and at higher level. But he saw what we are about as a team from last season, he knows a couple of the lads, and thinks he can fit in well with what we have at Grantham and what we want to do.”

Last season saw McDonald released by Worksop to join Matlock after a loan spell.This time, he has been released as part of financial measures at Causeway Lane, with Matlock chief executive Keith Brown stating the decision to release him was down to maintaining the Derbyshire club’s financial stability.

Stability is something that Sucharewycz said the player is looking for.

He said: “He is a young lad, and has ambitions to play at a higher level.

“He wants to settle at a club and prove himself again at this level and can see himself doing well with the players we already have lined up for next season.

“This signing, along with Greg Smith, Jamie McGhee and Karl Demidh, gives us great options for goalscoring next season.”

Schoolgirl Nicol Lara Scott, 9, has received a letter from the Prime Minister after she wrote to him to complain about litter in Grantham.

Nicol, who attends Cliffedale Primary School, was prompted to write her letter to David Cameron when she saw lots of rubbish near her father’s home, off Norton Street.

On receiving the letter, she said: “I was really happy. All my friends said I would not get a reply, so I was really excited when it arrived at my mum’s house.”

Nicol said she was unhappy to see beer cans, bin bags and broken glass among the litter in the streets near her dad’s home. “It’s horrible,” she said.

Her father, Graham, said: “I am overjoyed. I never thought she would get a reply.”

Nicol says she would like to study the environment and do something about litter when she is older.

The Woodland Trust was so proud of its award-winning exhibit at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show it brought the whole thing back to Grantham and installed it at its offices off Dysart Road.

The exhibit is called ‘Roots of London’ and won a bronze award at the Chelsea show.

The exhibit was transported back to the Trust’s HQ in Grantham where it is now displayed in the reception area.

The display has at its centre a cross-section of a London tube train which houses a variety of native trees suitable for garden planting, grasses, and low-growing perennial plants which can be used for seating. The interactive display attempts to explain the science that underpins the importance of trees and woods in an urban area especially with regard to flood prevention, cooling and people’s health.

Woodland Trust Head of Conservation Austin Brady said: “In the last six months we’ve enabled the public to plant almost 20,000 trees in London alone and many thousands more in other towns and cities across the country. Our exhibit highlights the many unique benefits trees help bring to urban areas.”

The Trust hopes the exhibit will have inspired visitors to the flower show to plant trees in their gardens. What do you think about it? Send your comments to: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk

An Ingoldsby man has retired after a distinguished career of 42 years with the same company.

Peter Leech joined John Deere Ltd at Langar in 1971 from Kesteven Agricultural College where he studied agricultural engineering.

He started his career as a service trainee and area service manager covering the East Midlands and Ireland before moving to the company’s Mannheim factory in Germany, where he was responsible for the Americas and the UK.

He returned to the UK where part of his job involved training and, during this time, a new training centre was set up in Bingham and at the newly-designed headquarters in Langar.

Since 2010, Mr Leech had been Deere and Company’s regional training manager covering Europe, Africa and the Near and Middle East.

Mr Leech was president of the Institute of Agricultural Engineers from 2010 to 2012 and he was awarded 
an Honorary fellowship in 2013.

Now he has left the company, he plans to continue with consultancy work and other projects.

Mr Leech, 61, is married to Rosemary and they have a son, Edward, who works in public affairs in London and a daughter, Alice, who is studying at the Royal Veterinary College.

Mr Leech will also spend time on his hobby of restoring vintage cars.