The choir and orchestra of St Wulfram’s Church will perform a concert of settings of the Magnificat concluding with Bach’s Magnificat in D on Sunday, July 14.

The choir and orchestra will be joined by soloists Avalon Summerfield, Tuffany Davis, Samuel Bardsley, Michael Davis, and Jake Muffett. The concert will be conducted by Dr Tim Williams, director of music at St Wulfram’s.

Tickets cost £10/£7 and are available from St Wulfram’s Parish Office and Simmonds Music on Westgate.

Strawberries and sparkling wine will be served during the interval. The concert starts at 5pm.

Dr Williams said the concert would prove challenging for the singers and musicians as it was a complicated piece. There will be about 50 singers and 20 musicians in the concert.

Dr Williams added: “This will be a celebration of the choir’s year. It has been a very interesting and exciting year for the choir.”

The choir has sung in Salisbury Cathedral and York Minster this year and they have been invited to sing in St Paul’s Cathedral in September.

Dr Williams also invited people along to Evensong at St Wulfram’s which is held twice a month on Sundays at 6.30pm. He said: “You can just sit, soak up the atmosphere and listen to the choir. It is an opportunity for the choir to sing serious Evensong choral music.”

Evensong and other church services are advertised in the Journal every week.

Colsterworth Colts Junior Football Club received the FA Charter Standard Clubs award at their annual presentation event on Saturday.

Club chairman Barry Jones is pictured receiving the award from Peter Camm of the Lincolnshire Football Association with club members looking on.

Mark Bland co-ordinated the colts’ bid to become a Charter Standard Club.

This kitemark is awarded to clubs that are well run, sustainable and which ensure child protection, quality coaching and safety are all paramount.

Football games and Futsol games were played throughout the afternoon and the event concluded with awards being presented to the children for their efforts last season.

Entertaining Sleaford, Belton Park first team recorded a good win, taking the match 3½ to 2½

However, there was no joy for the second team who lost away to Sleaford 2 by the same margin.

In a club match versus Worksop, Belton Park won at home 5 to 1.

Stoke Rochford were the visitors for a seniors’ match, with Belton Park seniors losing 4½ to 3½.

For Belton Park, Peter Brooks & Shaun Boney halved; Bill Brogan & Gary Head won 3&2; Fred Williams & Ray Clark lost 1 down; Manny Barker & Laurence Haselhurst lost 6&5; David Green & John Alsbury won 2 up; Keith Ball & Norman Halliday won 1 up; David Martin & John Carey lost 5&3; Willie Badraum & John Carr lost 2&1.

Grantham needs to build eight new homes every week for the next 13 years, a workshop was told on Tuesday.

Housing developer Larkfleet Homes hosted a breakfast workshop to explore options for Grantham growth at the Ramada Hotel, which was attended by around 30 people.

Tony Aspbury of town planning and development consultants Anthony Aspbury Associates, said the town had a “significant challenge” and needed a “step change” in the delivery of new homes because, he said, housing was the key to economic growth and the target of 7,500 new homes and 4,000 new jobs by 2016 was looking more and more difficult to achieve.

“To hit that, we need to double the amount of homes being built each year - that means something like 450 homes per year,” he said.

Stuart Pigrim, chairman of the Grantham Business Club, said the business community was “very positive” about future growth prospects but the town “needed to know what it wanted to be”.

He said Grantham was attractive because of the relatively low cost of housing, its transport links, standard of education, amount of open space and its historical and leisure facilities.

He said: “There is plenty to persuade people to call Grantham home and when they get here, they will find the town is full of people with energy, passion and drive.

“Development has got to be a positive because more people means more business and more money in the town.

“That’s what we all want.”

When asked why the town had not developed quickly enough, Mr Aspbury said: “There are too many eggs in two few baskets.

“We need more sites for housing development and they need to be developed quickly. We need to unlock local potential, so the town can grow.”

Mr Pigrim said: “We also need to link the railway station with the town centre and make sure there is something to enjoy in town at weekends, so people stop going elsewhere.”

Deputy mayor Ian Selby said he was disappointed that only himself and Councillor Alan Davidson from South Kesteven District Council had attended the workshop.

“I think it speaks volumes,” he said. “For too long too many decisions have been made about this town by people who don’t live in Grantham and have no connection with it.

“This has been a very positive gathering. It is up to us to promote the town. We need to be positive.”

Managing director of Larkfleet Homes, Karl Hicks, said it would have been good to have attracted more planners and people who had the town’s future at heart.

He proposed another workshop with more intetrested parties, saying: “We want to attract people and business to the town.

“People regret the loss of Marks & Spencer and the Body Shop and it would be good to know what organisations like that need to see to find Grantham attractive.

“What are their plans for the next five to 10 years and how can we be a part of them?”

Grantham has been labelled a “diamond” by the headteacher of Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School.

Graham Burks was speaking at the unlocking Grantham growth workshop on Tuesday when he said: “In terms of education, Grantham is a diamond. You are producing massively bright children in Grantham and the reason for that is that all the schools are so good. The reason we are so good at producing talent is that all the secondary schools are good. “

He said the town was producing at least 250 University students per year.

The Grantham Area Action Plan, now withdrawn, had the vision for the town to be: “A vibrant, and key economic centre in Lincolnshire with a high quality choice of retail, leisure, residential and employment opportunities for all.”

Karl Hick, mananging director of Larkfleet Homes, who organised the workshop, said: “We all want to see a prosperous town that can offer the chance for people to live and work happily and for visitors to enjoy.

“It’s not just about homes, its about moving forward in a balanced and sustained way, but we have to get moving. If the homes aren’t built, that will lead to chronic housing price inflation. The supply has to meet demand.

“We want to discuss ways to unlock the growth which has so far seemed stifled. Clearly the demand is there for growth in Grantham.”

There were other presentation from the Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership and The Woodland Trust, both pointing out that the “green infrastructue” had wide health and other benefits and urged planners and developers to inlvolve their organisations much earlier in the development process.

Fran Hitchinson from GLNP said: “Doing that will not only speed up development, it will probably make it cheaper for the developer as well and the result will be better all-round.”

It’s hot, the kids are telling you they are bored and you all fancy a swim. You might head to The Meres...or you might head to the home of Babs Wilding.

The mother-of-two has just moved from Nottingham into her Grantham home, in Hillside Drive. It sports a large indoor pool which she is keen to share with the local community, inviting any families or local groups to simply give her a call and pop in.

Babs, 42, said: “It would be selfish to have all this and keep it to ourselves.

“I want to be part of the community, it’s definitely very important to me.”

All she asks in return is a donation to a massive project she is spearheading, to build a £5 million pool complex which will cater for disabled people. It may be in Nottingham, but Babs believes it will benefit people living in Grantham as there is nothing like it in the region.

One feature of the new build is there will be no such thing as a disabled toilet. This is incredibly important to Babs as she has a disability and believes it is wrong to be singled out.

Fourteen years ago, Babs was diagnosed with Wilson’s disease, a degenerative condition which is caused by a build-up of copper in the body. Doctors told her she would lose the ability to walk, talk and have children. But “being a typical Taurean” she refused to let that happen and successfully fought with a research group to get drugs which were available in America over here in the UK.

She now has two children; Lauren, 13, and Olivia, three.

She said: “I wasn’t going to let it beat me, I’m stubborn.”

Moving to a house with a pool was vital to Babs, as she runs a swimming school as a fully qualified teacher.

Little Turtles Swim School has been running for seven years, and teaches children from the age of three, in groups of four to six, or one-to-one. She specialises in teaching children with special needs, and has a wealth of experience in working with children suffering from cerebral palsy.

As the house is too big for just the three of them, Babs is turning the downstairs area into a dormitory and bedrooms, so she can cater for residential visits. School, disability groups, residential homes and any other organisations are welcome to book.

Babs, who offers cheaper lessons for poorer families, is on 07432 646425.

To defend its response to concerns raised by the SOS Grantham Hospital petition, South West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group took out a full page in the Journal. That must have been expensive, but presmuably it’s taxpayers’ money, so that’s alright.

Nick Boles’ pronouncements on the hospital have, predictably, enraged electors, however Charmaine Morgan’s column last week seems to support the suspicions of many that the statistics have been manipulated over the years by people who have unnecessarily sent local mums-to-be to Nottingham, Lincoln, Peterborough or Boston when treatment at Grantham would have been available and acceptable. So you cannot claim there is not sufficient demand. It would be more accurate to say patients have been denied a local option and coerced into travelling stressful miles to distant locations.

We’re also told we won’t be losing emergency surgery as it has already been transferred. SWLCCG, comprising representatives of 19 practices in the area, is in an unenviable position. As well as caring for their patients, they appear to be forced to defend dubious decisions taken earlier in Whitehall and Westminster.

What would Hippocrates have made of it all, I wonder?

Brian Bruce

Bourne Road, Colsterworth

wasting money

After driving around Grantham, it’s clear why the town is dying...it’s the roads!

There is one approach road to the town that is not collapsing or rutted or full of potholes. Can anyone provide a reason for this? I have heard people say it is because most of the people who will have influence over such things live along the road. 
Now, I don’t know if that is true, but it would appear Manthorpe Road does have an amazingly well maintained surface as opposed to any other in or out of town. Even as far out as Barkston, the road is being relaid to a considerable depth.

This is where I come to a point for the highways department of the county council to consider: surface dressing is just that - it doesn’t repair crumbling wreckage of what used to be a road underneath. Neither does it fill the gaping holes left by years of patching, freezing, patching and underspending on maintenance. Nor does it help the motorcyclists who have fallen ino the gaping chasm never to be seen again. All it does is hide potholes from the vision of motorists, so we can’t tell where they are in time to take avoiding action and give the authorities the ability to say: “but that road was resurfaced last year”. No it wasn’t! It was covered over with a tanker full of wet tar and a bucket of gravel which is now stuck all down the sides of my car.

Come on highways department, sort our roads out or this town is never going to attract any shoppers.

Especially if we do, ever, get a bypass.

Steve Foster

By email

I see the highways department has been wasting thousands of pounds again for purely cosmetic, short-term reasons by using hot tar and gravel on Five Gates Lane and Gloucester Road instead of actually repairing the potholes and badly damaged road edges.

It might look pretty for four weeks, but the potholes are still visible under the “make-up”.

Driving from Lincoln last week, I noticed that the further one gets from that city, the worse the roads get. I wonder why?

Steve Cattell

Main Street, Hougham

king’s schoolboys

I have just read your article (Journal last week) regarding the behaviour of the leaving sixth formers from Grantham’s most illustrious educational establishment.

What King’s School head Frank Hedley failed to see is the further disgusting conduct of his “fine young men” later in the evening after they have been drinking solidly for a few hours and were marching around the town centre, shouting and bellowing at the top of their collective voices. Due to previous incidents from leaving sixth formers, when they visited to ask permission to enter my establishment, I refused, citing the reason of the trouble caused when asking for a proof of age for all the drinkers (of which not all were 18).

Because of this, they marched along Guildhall Street on to the High Street and myself, my staff and my customers were subjected to a barrage of foul abuse - all because they couldn’t get their way and come into The Goose.

It is precisely because of such behaviour that I said no in the first place, so at least I feel vindicated .

I hope when or if Mr Hedley has a discussion with next year’s organising committee he stresses the damage done this year to the school’s reputation and standing in the local community.

Hopefully, next year’s “fine young men” will have a better understanding of the concept.

Gary Chettle

General manager, The Goose

day out issues

A successful turfing company hosted an international show on Tuesday with companies represented from all over Europe and the United States.

Fineturf, of Carlton Scroop, was hosting the biennial Turfgrass Growers Show for the second time. Companies put on demonstrations of the latest machinery and product innovations used in the growing and harvesting of quality cultivated turf.

Among the companies represented were John Deere and Grantham-based R. C. Setchfield which has a JCB franchise.

Fineturf director Simon Hutton said: “The show went extremely well. The figures were better than we had expected. This is an event held all over the UK and it attracts the leading manufacturers and suppliers in the turf industry.

“The fine weather made the day. Growers were able to congregate in the field and discuss the industry and they were able to see the latest state-of-the-art products.”

After reading your article on Woodland Waters, I took my grandchildren to Woody’s for a picnic.

The play area was very nice for the children and we had a lovely walk around the water.

But when it came to picnic time, I was most disappointed - there were no picnic tables, but the most annoying thing was all the goose poo. It got everywhere, on our blanket, the children’s clothes and spoilt what was otherwise a lovely day out.

Is there not a machine to pick up this mess? I would be expected to clean up behind my dog, and rightly so.

Joanna

by email

As the Journal continues its ‘Shop Local’ campaign, we look at one of the town’s oldest businesses - the greengrocers Arnold Graham.

The small shop has been in Swinegate, Grantham, since 1955 and looks set to remain there for a good few years yet.

Arnold Graham opened the shop 58 years ago, while his son, David, 61, has been working there for 45 years. He started as soon as he left school and he remains there behind the counter of the quaint shop today.

Arnold died several years ago and David now runs the business alone.

Stepping through the door is like taking a leap back in time. Little has changed in the last six decades - the shelves are stacked the same and the cash register is an old wooden contraption.

As an independent retailer and a true Granthamian, David believes it is “very important” that such retailers remain in the town.

He added: “They are special because shopping in them is much more personal and you get to know everyone who comes in.”

He believes business has decreased over the years in the form of footfall. However, he is adamant that the shop is not at risk of closure, thanks to the number of schools and restaurants he supplies.

David said: “With more supermarkets, all independent retailers suffer because you can get everything under one roof, but people still buy from here because it’s nice to go to individual shops.”

Weather is a big factor, he says. In sunshine like this week, more people will come down and buy from him.

If the weather is poor, then he does see a decline in the amount of customers.

David said that because his shop is in the old part of the town, lots of his custom comes from tourists and people who are visiting St Wulfram’s Church, but good weather also brings more local people.

He said he would keep the shop open for as long as he was fit and able to do so.

A man from Grantham has completed the Snowdonia Charity Challenge, raising money for sports injury charity Regain, and is taking part in another charity event next month.

Dan Simmons, 41, of Harrowby Road, Grantham, took on the challenge last weekend, as part of a four-man team. The group were hoping to beat last years’s winning time of six hours and two minutes, which they did, completing the challenge in five hours and 34 minutes.

Dan said: “We beat the other 70 teams hands down, the nearest coming in 28 minutes behind us.”

The group is made up of a mixture of RAF officers and civilians. They have already managed to raise £1,400 for Regain, but they are keen to keep going and to raise as much as possible.

You can donate via www.justgiving.com/teams/fourcandles

Dan said: “Winning the event was an unexpected bonus for us; we will be returning to defend our title next year and this will allow us to raise more money for such a worthy cause.”

The challenge comprises of a 20-mile cycle from Llanberis to the Rhyd Dhu path. The competitors then climb and descend Mount Snowdon on foot.

Then they have a further 10-mile cycle to Lake Gwynant to canoe around the lake, before finishing another 20-mile cycle ascending and descending the Llanberis Pass.

Dan is a former Red Arrows display pilot and RAF squadron leader who flew Harrier jets during his service career, and served in Afghanistan. He is part of the defence company Inzpire, which offers expertise in military aviation, and is based at RAF Waddington. He lives with his wife Alison, a teacher, his son Cameron, 14, and daughter Ellie, 12.

Dan was serving in Afghanistan in 2008 when his son was diagnosed with type one diabetes, which is the most serious form of the condition.

On August 4, he plans to join 20,000 other cyclists in the ‘RideLondon-Surrey 100’, to raise money for Diabetes UK. The event is a 100-mile bike ride along the 2012 Olympic route in London. The group starts at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and finish in the Mall.

Donate via www.justgiving.com/Dan-Simmons-rideLondon-100

South Kesteven District Council says it has given a further £1 million to help first-time home buyers in the area.

Yesterday (Thursday) at full council, members approved allocating money to boost the ‘Local Lend a Hand’ partnership, which was launched with Lloyds TSB last year. The extra money will allow the scheme to extend and continue into 2014.

When the scheme was launched, SKDC gave an initial £1 million and just over half of that has been committed already, with more purchases planned soon.

Leader of the council Linda Neal said: “It’s been a great success and we want to do more for would-be home owners across the district.”

So far, the partnership has enabled 18 people to buy their first home, by SKDC guaranteeing up to 20 per cent of the mortgage deposit, leaving the buyer to find five per cent.

The price limits are now being increased, as are loan guarantee amounts. The maximum price for a property that the council will assist with the buying of is set to rise to £155,000 from £125,000 to compensate for higher prices in certain parts of the district.

The maximum loan size is currently up to £118,750, but will be increased to £147,250.

Coun Neal said: “We are hoping to help even more people into their own homes, stimulating the market and for many, making dreams come true.

“Every first-time buyer purchase triggers a further five property movements, all of which is good for the economy overall and fits with our aim to support good housing for all.”

The scheme is actively promoted by Lloyds TSB mortgage advice staff in Grantham, Stamford and Bourne. It is under consideration whether to add the Leeds Building Society and Teachers Building Society to the partnership.

A swimming class for babies and toddlers has helped to raise thousands of pounds for a children’s charity.

Water Babies, which runs a class at the Ramada Hotel in Grantham, has held special classes with sponsored challenges for the youngsters to complete. The children in Grantham dressed up as pirates to add another dimension to their fundraising and classes run throughout the local area have so far raised almost £2,000 for Tommy’s, which funds research into pregnancy complications. The target is to raise £5,000.

The classes raise money for Tommy’s every two years and so far this year more than £200,000 has been raised.

Water Babies has also been awarded silver at the HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards after being runner-up in the competition.

Bus company Kimes of Folkingham is to be closed after consultation with employees.

Owner Centrebus says most of the services provided by Kimes will be moved to other depots in August and the “vast majority” of driving staff have chosen to continue working at other sites. But a small number of staff will be made redundant.

The first phase of the transfers will happen from August 11 with services 4, 26, and 27 transferring to the Grantham depot. A week later Service 9 will transfer to the Saxby depot and service 12 to the Corby depot.

Centrebus commercial director Dave Shelley said: “We are pleased we have been able to work constructively to maintain services (with no timetable changes) and employment for the vast majority of our staff in the Kimes business. For a small number of staff who will be redundant, we are working very closely with them on an individual basis at what is obviously a difficult time.”

The Kimes site in Folkingham is due to formally close at the end of August.

Kimes was a family-owned business and a cooperative 
until July 2011 when it was bought by Centrebus in Grantham.

Kelly Tyers of the Coloroom and Linda Cupit of Shapers recently took part in the London Moonlit Walk, walking 26.2 miles, and we would like to say a very big thank-you to clients, friends and family for your kind donations and sponsorship.

We raised £450 to go towards vital breast cancer causes.

Kelly Tyers

Goodliff Road, Grantham

Grantham Stroke Club would like to show their appreciation to all the kind swimmers who took part in the Rotary Swimarathon. Rotary generously gave a donation of £420, which was presented to the treasurer, Jacky Elvy.

The money will be used to fund a coach trip for members.

John Aspland

Chair, Grantham Stroke Club

On behalf of the Grantham Canal Society, I would like to say a very big thank-you to the Rotary Club of Grantham for their generous donation from the Rotary Swimarathon, which will go towards the installation of new gates at Lock 18 on the Grantham Canal at Woolsthorpe.

Mike Wiggins and Mary Noble

High Meadow, Grantham