THE Vivian Close/Vernon Avenue Street party on Sunday, June 3 was a huge success and rain definitely did not stop play as everyone who said they were going to come made the effort to come and join in the fun.

There is something about partying in the cold and rain (although we had a marquee and a few gazebos to keep us dry) that is decidedly British! Thanks to everyone who came and made the Queen’s Jubilee so special. It was great to share the occasion with so many lovely people and create the memories that our children will always remember.

It made me very proud and thankful to be living in such a great community.

We’ve held on to the flags and the Union Jack hats so that we can cheer on the Olympic torch on 28th June - let’s hope the sun makes an appearance and shines on us all!

Andrea McHugh

ARTIST Haidee-Jo Summers braved the pouring rain by the River Thames to paint the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant last weekend.

Haidee-Jo, from Sudbrook, was one of only 20 artists from across the UK given a prime spot to capture the event.

As the weather worsened throughout the day, many of Haidee-Jo’s fellow artists fled for cover but the local girl kept calm and carried on - and was rewarded with a television interview with Anneka Rice.

Haidee-Jo has written a blog about her experience at www.haideejo.blogspot.co.uk

TWO TV personalities are lined up to be part of the upcoming Gravity Fields Festival in Grantham.

As organisers prepare to launch September’s ambitious festival in London next week, it is revealed that the festival will by opened by Dallas Campbell, of the BBC’s Bang Goes The Theory, and will also feature Marty Jopson, The One Show’s ‘Science Bloke’.

Other stand-out names are Professor Valerie Gibson, UK spokesman for the Large Hadron Collider, Professor Martin Rees, astronomer royal, and astrophysicist and author Chris Lintott.

They are all contributing to the week-long celebration of the science and arts, with a strong focus on Grantham’s son Sir Isaac Newton.

Grantham-born and educated Prof Gibson believes the festival is a long overdue public acknowledgement of a man whose legacy stretches from the first reflecting telescope to the everyday cat flap.

She said: “It is a pleasure to return to Grantham and take part in a festival dedicated to the life and career of Newton. He has been an inspiration to not only me but countless others to follow his path of scientific discovery and a festival such as Gravity Fields cannot fail to inspire a whole new audience.”

Gravity Fields will be launched to the national press on Tuesday, at London’s National Portrait Gallery, followed on Wednesday by tickets going on sale to all events.

South Kesteven District Council is behind the festival, which it is hoped will take place every two years, and leader Councillor Linda Neal believes SKDC’s financial investment is worthwhile. She believes it will put Grantham on the map alongside Stratford celebrating Shakespeare and Hay on the Wye’s book festival.

She said: “Grantham has traditionally been linked to Margaret Thatcher but in Isaac Newton we have a man whose thinking and discoveries changed the world for ever and still influence all our lives. It’s time to celebrate that and we are in the privileged position of making it happen.”

Gravity Fields will take place from September 21 to 28, and will feature a “stratospheric” line-up of speakers, presentations and demonstrations encompassing Newton-related science, arts, drama, poetry, writing, heritage and street theatre.

Highlights will include a mobile planetarium and a rare film of Albert Einstein and other eminent scientists visiting Woolsthorpe Manor and Grantham in 1927 to mark 200 years since the death of Newton.

The festival will end with ‘Transformation of the Town’, whereby Newton-themed processions will parade through the town centre.

As attractions and events are confirmed, they are updated on to the festival website at www.gravityfields.co.uk

Event tickets go on sale on Wednesday and are available via the website.

AS reported by the Journal, people living in Signal Road and Sharpe Road are dealing with anti-social behaviour on an almost daily basis.

A panel meeting bringing together affected people, police, councillors and council officers took place on Friday...but there were many more questions than answers.

FRUSTRATION is what is being felt not just by people whose lives are being blighted by yobs, but also those in authority who are trying to help.

Around 25 people attended Friday’s meeting to discuss the ongoing anti-social behaviour problems in Sharpe Road and Signal Road in Grantham, problems which became so bad earlier this year that the people living in the area paid for their own CCTV cameras.

They are all angry and frustrated that the issue, which has been escalating over the past decade, seems beyond resolving.

But their frustration is at least matched by their Lincolnshire Police beat manager Pc Jane Ellis.

Pc Ellis told the meeting the three main offenders in the area had been sent to a Young Offenders Institute three times in the past year - a process which takes “an immense amount of effort”.

She added: “The problem is we keep locking these young men up but they keep coming out and re-offending. The problem is the life these people have to live and we can’t solve it for them.

“I wrack my brains at night trying to think of a way to help.”

Residents who spoke up praised Pc Ellis and her team for their efforts but now realise that the most the police can do is, after exhaustive investigations and hundreds of hours of work, get one or two of those responsible sent to a young offenders institution for a couple of months.

Then they are returned to the streets - time served and slate wiped clean - and usually back to terrorising their neighbourhood.

At the meeting was Grantham MP Nick Boles and Chief Inspector Mark Housley. Residents asked for a representative from South Kesteven District Council’s housing department to be at the next meeting.

But as people left there seemed little prospect of a speedy resolution to their problem. There is plenty of willingness to do something, but too many hands are tied.

Neighbours are pinning their hopes on getting the families blamed for the anti-social behaviour - SKDC tenants - evicted, but ask: “Then what?” They fear it will only become someone else’s problem.

It was a meeting in which plenty of questions were asked, and answered, but solutions were nowhere to be found.

l What do you think might solve anti-social behaviour problems in neighbourhoods? E-mail: comment@granthamjournal.co.uk

A £350,000 investment into a Grantham furniture manufacturer will create new jobs.

The Quality Furniture Company (QFC) has invested in the wood mill area of its Alma Park factory, to expand its capacity and bring more of the manufacturing process back to Grantham from Eastern Europe.

Operations director David Bramwell said: “This new investment will help us to become even more competitive, creating new jobs in the coming months and years.”

The investment includes the installation of a £170,000 beam saw, a state-of-the-art machine which cuts sofa components from plywood and chipboard.

l Further good news for QFC is the success of its apprenticeship scheme. Pupils of the Priory Ruskin Academy attended a recent open day to find out more about the firm. Following a video, tour of the plant and presentations by managers, they were informed of three appenticeship vacancies and invited to apply.

For information on apprenticeships at the factory, call Janet Shrapel on 01476 514805.

A NEW £13.5 million school WILL be built in Grantham as Lincolnshire County Council has approved the planning application this morning (Monday).

As reported in the Journal, the application to build the new Priory Ruskin Academy in Rushcliffe Road had been deferred three times due to residents’ concerns over construction traffic.

However, it was approved this morning at the county council offices in Lincoln.

County Councillor Ray Wootten has been representing residents’ views, and he was present at the meeting.

He said: “I’m pleased that the application has been investigated thoroughly but I’m disappointed that another access route for construction traffic was not possible.

“I fear that the next 18 months are going to bring disturbances for residents and there’s a real possibility that they will be unable to leave their homes by car during busy periods.”

Priory Ruskin headteacher Clive Shepherd hopes to celebrate today’s “fantastic news”.

He told the Journal: “It has been a rocky road through trying to get planning permission. I think staff, students and parents have been frustrated by the constant deferrals over the planning application, but now those frustrations are no longer there.”

For more on this story, see Friday’s Journal.

A WOMAN faces a trial after she denied three charges of stealing alcohol from stores around Grantham.

Fabre, 25, will return to court on September 14 for trial on the three matters. She was released on bail with the conditions she does not enter any retail store other than Morrisons and does not possess an open alcohol container in public.

AN unemployed man went on a short crime spree to help a friend who had fallen into debt with “rather unsavoury people”, Grantham magistrates’ heard.

Unemployed 20-year-old forklift driver Declan Kay of Valley Road, Grantham, faced two charges of theft and asked for eight further offences to be taken into account – all of which took place on May 22 and 23.

Kay admitted stealing three trailers valued at £12,000 from JTT Equipment in Belton Lane and fuel from Kimes bus depot in Folkingham. The eight other offences he asked to be taken into account included stealing petrol from a petrol station and admitting to stealing from other businesses, including AC Williams.

Daniel Paulson, prosecuting, said Kay drove a Land Rover Discovery into JTT Equipment before using the vehicle to remove three trailers each valued at £4,000. At Kimes bus depot, he used syphoning equipment to steal 12.5 litres of fuel.

Rory Macmillan, defending, said: “It was a misguided and desperate attempt to help a friend who had got into debt with some rather unsavoury people. Because his friend had a partner and child, he felt very strongly about the position his friend was in.

“He tried to raise the money in a legitimate way. Then, thereafter, he went on something of a short spree of stealing.”

Mr Macmillan said Kay admitted the other eight offences, even though: “they would not have been detected had he not admitted them”.

Mr Macmillan added: “He was not looking to gain himself from what he did. He now realises how stupidly he was thinking.

“He is sincerely sorry for his actions.”

Kay was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service and pay £500 in compensation to JTT Equipment.

POLICE arrested a 14-year-old schoolboy following an incident in which several children were stabbed with an insulin needle.

It is believed as many as 20 children were injured in the incident at Toot Hill School, in Bingham, on Wednesday morning.

Police were called to the school on Friday morning where they arrested the teenager. He was questioned and bailed pending further enquiries.

A police spokesman said: “A number of children sustained minor injuries during the incident.

“Parents of pupils affected have been informed after what is believed to be a diabetic pen was used.”

Several children received hospital checks, with tests for hepatitus and HIV being carried out. The test results will not be known for three months.

A MAN accused of stealing a forklift truck worth £20,000 and wounding two police officers will have his case heard at crown court.

John Harty, 27, of Hollydene Crescent, Nottingham, was told his case was too serious to be heard by magistrates and must be sent to crown court.

Harty is accused of entering a timber yard in Gunby Road, Sewstern, and stealing the Cat forklift truck. He also faces two charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.

Harty was told he must return to Grantham Magistrates’ Court for commital on August 6.

A MAN facing 27 different charges had his case adjourned for two weeks.

Byron Hayes-Fowler of Wetry Close, Barrowby, appeared via video-link as he is on remand for unrelated matters.

Hayes-Fowler, 21, will re-appear in court via video-link on June 29.

He was given technical unconditional bail.

A DRUG-addicted mum-of-two stole meat on two consecutive days from the same Grantham store.

Caren Patel of Kipling Close, Grantham stole three joints of meat from the Co-op store in Dysart Road on May 12.

She then returned to the same store the following day and again attempted to steal food items, including meat.

Daniel Paulson, prosecuting, said: “In interview she made full admissions and said she stole to fund her drug habit.”

The court heard Patel had two previous convictions for shop theft, the most recent being from April of last year.

Patel, 30, was fined £70 and ordered to pay compensation of £25, a surcharge of £15 and £40 in costs.

A MAN accused of possessing more than 15,000 indecent pictures of children was told his case was too serious to be heard by magistrates.

Andrew Knight, of Troughton Walk, South Witham, is accused of possessing indecent images and videos including 313 of the most serious, Level 5 type.

Knight, 40, faces a total of 15 charges and is alleged to have been in possession of 15,962 indecent images. He is accused of being in possession of the material while at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire.

The case was adjourned until the afternoon of August 6 for committal to crown court.

A MAN accused of stealing lead worth £20,000 from a church roof appeared at Grantham Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Oliver Tordoff of Wollaton Road, Beeston, Nottingham, is accused of stealing the lead from the church roof in Leadenham.

Tordoff, 23, was told his case was too serious to be heard at Grantham Magistrates Court, due to the estimated cost of the stolen materials.

The theft is alleged to have taken place on the evening of February 24. The case was adjourned until August 6 for committal to crown court.

GRANTHAM saloon car racer Rich Hockley made the long journey up to Knockhill for the second round of the Civic Cup last Sunday.

Making his first visit to the Scottish circuit, Rich took the opportunity to have some practice laps on the Saturday afternoon and was glad that he did. He found trying to learn the circuit in the wet hard work and the session threw up some serious handling problems with his Honda Civic that necessitated some major changes to suspension and set-up.

Rich continued to tinker with his race car on Sunday morning before he went out on circuit for qualifying in which he managed to drive to third on the grid.

The first race was a wet one. He dropped to fourth going into the first corner but held on to his place until the third placed drive pulled back and collided with Rich, sending him off the circuit. But he managed to get out of the gravel trap to cross the finish line still in fourth.

The impact damaged his front wing and headlight and bent the steering but Rich got the car out on the track for race two. He had a good start from P4 on the grid but the race was red flagged after a big collision saw one driver hospitalised.

Rich will be back in action in the next round of the championship which takes place at Brands Hatch on July 8, once he has sorted out his bodywork and a problematic gearbox.

INFLATABLES, stalls and entertainment are lined up to form part of a school gala in Great Gonerby.

St Sebastian’s Primary School will host its annual summer gala on Saturday, between 11am and 1.30pm.

The event is organised by the school’s Parent, Teacher and Friends Association.

Attractions will include a grand raffle, inflatable slide, entertainment, stalls, tombola, refreshments and much more.

Everyone is welcome to go along and join in the gala festivities.

GRANTHAM Athletic Club repeated its success in the previous two rounds of the North of England League, recording another victory by 90 points at The Meres on Sunday.

Thirty-two first places were achieved, with Sophia Tucker, Illana McMahon, Savannah Dowse, Billy Orridge, Jake Hornby and Chris Bainbridge all recording personal bests.

The 4x400m relay team of Joe Madge, Ian Charles, Oliver Kiy and Billy Orridge set a new club record of 3min 40.5sec, beating the nine-year-old previous record by four seconds.

The final match in the league will be at Doncaster on August 5.

Results: Female, 100m - 3A E. Cragg 14.1s, 3B N. Collier 15.1s; 200m - 3A E. Cragg 31.8s, 3B J. Jagger 35.9s; 400m - 2A N. Collier 60.4s, 2B E. Cragg 72.9s; 800m - 4A S. Tucker 2m 30.6s pb, 2B P. Atherton 2m 52.8s; 1500m - 3A S. Tucker 5m 27.2s, 2B P. Atherton 5m 59.7s; 100m hurdles - 2A J. Jagger 25.7s; high jump - 3A J. Jagger 1.25m; long jump - 3A I. McMahon 4.31m pb, 2B J. Jagger 4.02m; triple jump - 2A J. Jagger 8.05m, 1B S. Tucker 7.45m; pole vault - 1A I. McMahon 2.30m; shot - 1A R. Hall 11.87m, 1B H. Gilbert 9.27m; discus - 1A L. Evans 31.45m, 1B H. Gilbert 19.37m; javelin - 2A H. Gilbert 27.38m, 1B L. Evans 20.61m; hammer - 1A H. Gilbert 41.65m, 1B S. Dowse 26.19m pb; 4x100m relay - 1 Grantham AC 58.7s; 4x400m relay - 3 Grantham AC 5m 35.3s.

Male, 100m - 1A D. Elba-Porter 11.3s pb, 1B C. Priestley 11.6s; 200m - 1A D. Elba-Porter 23.8s, 1B J. Heanen 24.6s pb; 400m - 1A J. Madge 52.0s, 1B O. Kiy 52.8s; 800m - 3A B. Orridge 2m 6.0s, 3B J. Hornby 4m 36.5s pb; 5,000m - 3A A. Short 17.50.6s, 3B P. Hall 22m 23.5s; 100m hurdles - 2A S. Broughton-Eley 70.6s, 1B M. Gray 72.1s; 3,000m steeplechase - 1A B. Orridge 11m 39.6s, 2B S. Bainbridge 14m 24.4s; high jump - 1A M. Burr 1.70m, 2B M. Gray 1.40m; long jump - 1A J. Heaney 6.57m, 1B I. Charles 5.43m; triple jump - 2A M. Atkins 11.30m, 1B M. Burr 11.05m; pole vault - 1A M. Gray 2.80m; shot - 1A M. Atkins 9.97m, 2B S. Bainbridge 8.35m; discus - 1A M. Atkins 30.14m, 1B P. Garner 26.85m; javelin - 1A H. Richards 53.61m, 1B M. Gray 29.89m; hammer - 1A P. Garner 34.82m, 1B C. Bainbridge 25.09m pb; 4x100m relay - 1 Grantham AC 46.9s; 4x400mm relay - 1 Grantham AC 3m 40.5s cr.

Overall: 1 Grantham AC 457pt, 2 Pudsey & Bramsley AC 367, 3 Hallamshire 254, 4 Grimsby 234, 5 Goole Youth AC 135, 6 Wombwell 74.

l Local athletes represented Lincolnshire Schools in the Regional Final of the English Schools Combined Events at Bedford over the weekend.

Selection to compete in the event was made as a result the athletes’ results in the County Championships in May.

In the under-17 girls’ heptathlon, Zoe Lucas (Walton Girls) performed well to gain third place and ensure selection for the National Final at Bedford in September.

Joshua Brown (Priory Ruskin) recorded four PBs to finish second in the under-17 boys’ octathlon and guarantee himself a place in the final.

Carre’s Grammar students Millie Cooper and Hannah Dunderdale competed in the under-19 girls’ heptathlon. Millie was third in the age group and a member of the winning Lincs team. Carrying an injury, Hannah was unable to complete all of the events but still qualified as part of the winning team.

l Local athletes will be in action at the prestigious English Schools Track and Field Championships at Gateshead this weekend.

This premier schools event is known as the “Mini-Olympics” and many of the 2012 Olympic team are former Englans Schools athletes.

Representing Lincolnshire will be: Under-15 - Oliver Williams (King’s) shot; under-17 - Alice Macgowan (Walton) 80m hurdles, Joshua Brown (Priory) 400m, Haran Dunderdale (Carre’s) 1500m steeplechase; under-19 - Naomi Collier (KGGS) 800m, Hannah Dunderdale (Carre’s) shot, Jac Heanen (King’s) 110m hurdles.

PRE-school children at Gill Ebbins’ Child-minding Practice in Harlaxton have been learning all about the importance of staying safe.

On Monday, the children enjoyed a visit from police community support officer Mark Barr (pictured). He taught them the importance of approaching a ‘safer stranger’ such as a police officer if they get lost.

The children were taught in an informative but fun way, getting the chance to ‘drive’ the police car and play with the siren and flashing lights.

Gill, who owns the child-minding practice, said: “It is really important as children reach school age that they know how to keep themselves safe and that they are confident enough to approach a police officer if they ever needed to.”

A NEW president has been elected to lead the Rotary Club of Grantham Kesteven.

Tony Griffin has taken over from outgoing president Marion Strange.

Tony, who was born and raised in Birmingham, lived in the rural county of Worcestershire for many years before his retirement allowed him to move to Lincolnshire.

An active member of his local Rotary club in Worcestershire, he was eager to join the Rotary Club of Grantham Kesteven upon his move to the area. He aims to work alongside the other members of the club to “make a difference” to those less fortunate.

Tony hopes to spend his time away from the Rotary club outdoor bowling with the Leadenham Bowling Club and visiting his extended family in Greece with his wife, Rosalind. He is also a member of a University of the Third Age trains, boats and planes group.

GRANTHAM Water Polo just missed out on winning the Midlands ASA Championship at Walsall on Sunday.

The competition, for players born in 1998 or after, saw them first defeat Nottingham 6-5 with goals from Gareth Lord (2), Cameron Knott (2), Giorgia Bosworth and Sam Lee.

Grantham then convincingly defeated Birmingham side Boldermere 12-0. Goals came from Lord (2), Bosworth, Knott (2), Lee (2), Dan Hammond (2), Jacob Barnett, Jonathon Birch and Oliver Walker.

The final was decided between unbeaten Grantham and Solihull. Grantham started slowly and leaked four goals in as many minutes but conceded no more before half time.

Goals in quick succession from Knott, Lord and Lee brought them back into the game. Solihull added a fifth and goals from Bosworth and Lee, and a further one from Solihull put the score 6-5 just in the West Midlands side’s favour. Solihull clinched the title with a late goal on the break.

Midlands ASA Championship runners-up Grantham Water Polo Club are from left, back - coach Dave Lord, Jonathon Birch, Sam Lee, Oliver Walker, Joe Starks and Jacob Barnett; front - Giorgia Bosworth, Dan Hammmond, Gareth Lord, Cameron Terry and Cameron Knott.