I, too, deplore fly-tipping but I don’t agree with Mr Fardell about the “brilliant service” provided by Grantham Recycling Centre in that it is so brilliant that it is closed all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The Bottesford site is open seven days a week in the summer, five days a week in the winter. If they can manage these opening hours, why can’t Grantham?

Fly-tipping is also not helped by restricting waste to one black wheelie bin and by charging extortionate amounts for collection of bulky items. SKDC charges £11 for the first item and £5 for all other items – the charges are for each single item collected (so a three-piece suite, for example, is three bulk waste items).

You can understand to some degree why those without large cars or lorries or trailers pay the cowboys cash-in-hand to take waste away, not knowing what will happen to it and exasperating the fly-tipping problem.

Steve Cattell

Main Street, Hougham

In reply to the letter in last week’s Journal criticising me, I fear Simon Rhoades has missed the point.

If we had a town council our opinions would have been sought regarding where we may want to spent £5m. Would the residents of Grantham have chosen to spend that amount on a single project? In the absence of a town council were our opinions sought by SKDC before committing our money to a multiplex cinema project? With regard to my being pre-determined and hostile over the new cinema complex proposal, any decision I make regarding the development itself will be based on planning criteria and it is only right I raise matters on the planning committee that are cause for concern.

With regard to the Southern and Northern Quadrant housing schemes in general, would we have chosen to put the majority of new homes for the entire district into Grantham? Would we have concentrated those on only two sites, both of which are renowned for having traffic issues, and both of which were former green field sites? Would a town council have given more weight to the consequences of the development on existing residents and businesses and raised such concerns to the district?

In response to the point that all homes make traffic -– yes they do. However, we have a desperate need for more affordable homes here in Grantham. The social benefit from the provision of homes for those struggling in insecure private rented accommodation would be a major consideration when weighing up the impacts of any development. Traffic matters. If we don’t get the infrastructure right the economic benefits of the new scheme will reduce as residents at the new sites choose to travel down the A1 to Stamford or up to Newark, rather than queue down Barrowby Road, Bridge End Road or Spittlegate to go into Grantham for their shopping. They will be in a good place to make that decision. Unlike the people living nearer to the centre of town, who are not.

There was no representative voice for Grantham when either of these important strategic decisions were made and that must change in future. I am delighted the majority of local people responding to the Journal poll feel the same. Look out for our petition and please contact SKDC if you are not already on the electoral register so you too can have your say.

Coun Charmaine Morgan

By email

Businesses in Grantham have talked of the increased trade they exprienced thanks to Gravity Fields, while South Kesteven District Council have also disclosed the amounts spent towards staging the event.

Figures obtained from SKDC reveal that contributions of £240,300 went towards the cost of putting on the festival, including £70,000 from the district council, £89,200 from Arts Council England and a Heritage Lottery Fund of £58,600.

Funds were also received from the Science and Technology Facilities Council, Cummins Generator Technologies and Trinity College.

Members of the business community have spoken to the Journal about benefiting from increased footfall during the festival, in particular on the Saturday when 11,700 people are reported to have visited The George Centre.

David Charles, founder of Grantham Retailers Assocation (GRA), said: “Quite a few shops emailed me to say they had a great response, with lots of new people coming in.

“This was helped by our treasure hunt organised with Grantham at a Glance, which saw people looking for apples in the 17 independent retailers. We are looking to do something similar at future events.”

One of the independent shops to benefit was the recently opened Honest Krust on Welby Street, whose owner Daniel Charles said: “On the Saturday there was a large number of people, and we doubled our normal takings having decided to stay open three hours longer.

“It has been great for business, and through the treasure trail map new people have discovered us.”

In addition, several hotels reported being fully booked, including the Kings Hotel whose guests included dancers and the Royal Veterinary College, while the Angel & Royal’s general manager Jane Green was pleased with both the full rooms and the popularity of the new moveable feast event they helped host.

Chairman of Grantham Business Club, Stuart Pigram, also praised businesses for their involvement in the festival through the window dressing competition.

He said: “It was fantastic to see so many local businesses and retailers making such great efforts.

“The best part of the weekend was seeing many people in and around Grantham, families and business owners, enjoying the spectacle.”

We would like to offer our sincere thanks to the very kind lady who picked up a large sum of money and personal items in Watergate car park on Friday, September 25.

This lady returned the money to our bank, who were then able to contact us. Unfortunately she did not leave any name or contact details, so we were unable to thank her personally.

It is heartwarming to know that there are some very honest people in Grantham. Thank you.

Anne Norris

By email

Congratulations to all those involved in the organisation of the Gravity Fields Festival. All the events and talks I attended were well presented and I found them to be most interesting - and in several cases, mind provoking!

However, I was rather surprised when I went to attend a talk at the King’s School and was greeted by a sign which stated that there was ‘No parking for Gravity Fields’. I therefore parked in the Watergate car park and walked back to the school where I eventually found someone who said that the talk was in the Old School building on Church Street, but I would need to walk all the way round via Swinegate as the direct access through the school was locked.

For a school that is, presumably, proud of its association with Sir Isaac Newton, I find it very disappointing that it did not seem interested in adopting a more positive attitude to the event. Surely this would have been an ideal opportunity to put on its own show in support of the talk and promote its own image.

David R. White

Denton Avenue, Grantham

Most nights recently we have seen reassuring coverage on Pick TV of our wonderful Lincolnshire Police tackling crime in the county as if there were no tomorrow.

Clearing streets of violence, busting drug rackets, chasing and catching boy racers and drunk drivers, saving motorists involved in accidents, intervening in domestic arguments which get out of hand, nabbing burglars and other felons, and generally keeping the peace wherever they go.

Residents in Lincoln, Boston and Skegness must feel safe in their beds, able to go out for a relaxing meal, walk the dog without danger of it being savaged by pit bull terriers and the like and return home knowing that whatever disaster might befall them, someone ‘in blue’ will always be there to rescue them.

Criminals of all shapes and sizes, on the other hand, must be quaking in their beds, wondering where the next penny is coming from. With the strong arm of the law ready to stop their little games at all costs, they will have no other choice but to go straight.

Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick must be so proud of having such a well-managed, well-organised force at his command. Well done!

Hang on a minute! What about dear old boring Grantham, where we hardly ever see a real ‘Bobby-on-the-beat’, while a handful of PCSOs are worked to a virtual standstill? Have Mr Hardwick and his 1,000-strong cohorts followed the usual pattern in Lincolnshire and forgotten Grantham? Has crime in the town been eradicated to such an extent that we don’t need police anymore?

I don’t think so. Just walk around the centre and watch happy shoplifters helping themselves; drive through the streets and join in the stock car racing local motorists; go for a quiet night out and get beaten up on the way home ...

Need I say more ...?

Author Ian Maber lives in Barrowby with partner Hilary and has two married children who live locally.

He moved to Grantham in 1979 and became head of art and design at Grantham College. In 1996 he became a creative director for Sony Playstation US and over the years has travelled the world working in animation, and the film industry, including Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks.

How did you discover you have a talent for writing?

I don’t know if I would describe it as a talent for writing. In Christmas 2012 I was encouraged by Hilary to write my first book. I started rather nervously thinking I would soon run out of words, but never stopped until two months later I had a 93,000-word novel. I grew up in a back-to-back in the 1960s in a mend and make do society, no iPad, mobile phones or modern technologies today’s children have. I eventually became a teacher and combined my experiences as a newly qualified teacher with my school days. The result was a humorous book called S.C.U.M.S. (St Christopher’s United Modern School). To date it has been downloaded over 1,500 times on Amazon (there is a copy in Grantham Library).

What genre do you work in?

I’m interested in people and the way they react to situations. Eric Chappell (creator of Rising Damp) commented that I was very influenced by dialogue and that came through in my writing. To date I have written and published two novels. The second was a murder-mystery so I suppose the answer to the question is more about style than genre. I have written several short stories, again dialogue based, and was shortlisted from over 1,000 entries in a recent competition.

Where do the ideas come from?

Hmm... sometimes from experience, sometimes life, but often a desire to write something a little different.

Tell us about your latest book.

The latest book, just released, is called The Bloodline Legacy. It is a fictional novel, part based on fact. A young couple inherit a house from an unknown aunt. While exploring the house they discover a Chinese puzzlebox, and after finally opening it discover six photographs. They set out to discover the significance of the hidden photos which leads them to a trail of murder, secrecy, intrigue, suspicion and greed. It also unearths the darker side of Beth’s family, and the connection with the fated Romanov Dynasty. Each chapter introduces a fact which slowly teases the reader to look for the link until finally the novel reveals a surprising twist for both the young couple and the reader. Once again there are a variety of strong characters featured as the couple travel the length and breadth of the United Kingdom in search of answers. I didn’t think my timing was right to seek a publisher with a book highlighting a very controversial subject of the demise of the Romanov family, especially in the current political climate surrounding Russia. Hence it was self-published on Amazon Kindle and Lulu.

Did it take long to write, do you follow a strict routine?

The Bloodline Legacy took much longer than the first novel, because it involved considerable research - which also became another task with conflicting historical reports. It took about six months to write (not counting endless nights of proof reading). I like to write first thing in the morning when things are fresh in my mind and I frequently work at night.

I think this is determined by what people call ‘writers block’. If I find a lack of drive or ‘the block’ I tend to look for any short story competitions as a new stimulus. I belong to Grantham Writers and Sleaford Writers groups, both of which set monthly tasks. so that keeps me thinking. In fact I seem to be addicted to writing now, which I suppose is a good thing since I have finally decided to see how far I can go with it as a career.

What are you working on now?

For the past 18 months I have been working with a friend on a new children’s fiction book. We have worked together many times before internationally in the software, technology, and computer games industry. Both of us are trained illustrators, but I write the tales and concept and Lloyd illustrates them. The first book is nearly finished with others already in draft form. My colleague is the creator of Super Ted and illustrated The Tale of Gemima Puddleduck and the Under Milkwood series, so we are targeting a high quality product. The Sapplings books are written for the 7-14 age group. Entering into a world of fantasy and imagination, children are taken into a magical realm hidden away in a cottage garden. It has strong characters, whose job it is to help nature from one season to the next. The books have many loveable characters who often battle against the revolting, badly behaved neighbours, the Grindburgers. Current interest has been shown by Dreamworks animation.

I have many amusing stories and tales I have written and also some from my career. I would now like to present them as series of humorous talks, so if anyone is interested please contact me either by email at hilandian@outlook.com or call 07833 451800.

*I would like to thank everyone who came and donated to my Macmillan coffee morning on Friday, September 26. A total of £242 was raised.

Sarah Capon

Gonerby Road, Grantham

*I would like to say a big thank you to the lady who handed in my purse at the Morrisons store on Saturday afternoon.

The lady did not leave her name.

Shirley Colson

By email

The regional premiere of Dracula: The Musical is being brought to the stage by a local amateur group.

Harrowby Singers have sunk their teeth into their latest production and are looking forward to presenting it later this month at the Guildhall Arts Centre.

The musical, based on one of the most famous horror novels of all time by Bram Stoker, is written by the award-winning team of Frank Wildhorn and Don Black.

Laura Bowling, of the Singers, said: “If you love the drama of Les Miserables and the passion of The Phantom of the Opera, this is a must-see for you.

“A thrilling drama of suspense and gothic romance set in Victorian times, join Van Helsing and his band of men in their fight to stop Dracula.”

The Singers will stage the musical every night from Wednesday to Saturday, October 15 to 18, at 7.30pm, with a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.

Tickets for the Wednesday evening and Saturday matinee shows cost £6.50, Thursday evening £8, and Friday and Saturday evenings £10. Tickets are available at the Guildhall box office (Tel: 01476 406158) or at www.guild
hallartscentre.com

For more details on Harrowby Singers go to www.harrowbysingers.com

Traffic in Grantham is crawling along as roadworks have sprung up in the town centre.

Works have started in Castlegate and Sandon Road which have been partially closed. Traffic is crawling along the High Street, Sandon Road, Avenue Road and Elmer Street South in the town.

Traffic is also moving very slowly on the A1 southbound north of Grantham, and there are delays of up to 15 minutes.

How have the roadworks affected you? Send us a message on Twitter, Facebook or to graham.newton@granthamjournal.co.uk

Traffic is flowing freely in Grantham following this morning’s gridlock as roadworks started in various locations.

Roadworks have begun in Castlegate and Sandon Road with diversions in progress. Traffic was crawling along the High Street and other roads including Avenue Road and Elmer Street South.

The gridlock on the roads this morning has prompted many readers to voice their frustration on Facebook and Twitter.

Paula Bartram said: “Why can’t they just shut one road at a time! I’ve never seen traffic as bad as it is this morning! Lincolnshire Highways department is a joke!”

Lynn Golightly said: “Why can’t they redirect some traffic through Watergate car park, that would help surely!”

Faith Clarke said: “Top of East Street and Castlegate is closed! Guessing they’re finally mending the sink hole at the top but I doubt they’ll seal it so will need redoing next week!!”

Ans Lee Coldron said: “Dropped my daughter off at school at 8.15, just got to work at 9.30..... God help us all... who the hell is getting paid to create this mess!”

Four charges of theft from another person on four consecutive days have been denied by a Grantham man.

Ruben Da Silva, 36, of Norton Street, pleaded not guilty to stealing a total of £340 from the same man between February 6 and 9.

The case was adjourned with the trial due to commence at Grantham Magistrates’ Court on January 14.

Meanwhile, Da Silva remains on conditional bail not to contact the complainant by any means.

Five musicians who got together to form a band more than 30 years after all going to the same village primary school, are playing a charity date at the end of the month.

Rollin-Dice played their first jam sessions at Great Ponton village hall when they started out two years ago and have rehearsed there most weeks ever since.

The gig in the village centre of Saturday, October 25, will raise funds for the village football club and is the band’s way of saying thanks for the use of the hall.

Guitarist Craig Chambers said: “We are all in our late thirties and early forties now and play a wide range of music, including numbers by The Eagles, Lynard Skynard, The Jam, Rod Stewart and the Rolling Stones, to name a few.

“We bring our own style to the music because we don’t have a drummer, although lead singer Paul Ohara provides some percussion.

“We all play acoustic instruments, although we do play through amplifiers.”

Craig plays six and twelve-string guitar and sings, Russell Wright plays guitar and sings, Chris Nix plays guitar and also sings lead and Bazza Preece plays bass.

All five have been friends since they went to Ropsley Primary School, and Craig, who works as a manager for haulier Eddie Stobart, and Chris, a carpenter, still live in the village.

Craig said: “We all played when we were a lot younger and used to practise together, but nothing really came of it.

“Then a couple of years ago, when we were playing individually, we were asked to play together at the Green Man pub in Ropsley and we received such good comments we decided to give it a go. Guitarist Rich Booker, who lives in the village and has been a friend for years, helped us along the way and encouraged us to keep going.

“Now we play pubs, weddings and events for friends, with dates every month or so.

“We all have families and work commitments, so we don’t want the music to ever become a chore.

“We said from the start it has to be fun, and all the time it is, we will keep going.”

Tickets for the Great Ponton Village Centre date are available locally in advance or on the door on the night.

The entertainmemnt starts at 8pm.

For more details about the band, call Russ on 07803590530, Baz on 07876066181 or email 
rollindice@hotmail.co.uk

A controversial application to build an Islamic community centre in Grantham has been refused.

The Grantham Muslim Community Association wanted to build the centre on Mowbeck Way near the waste and recycling centre.

Residents opposed the plan because it was close to homes and said access to the site was inadequate.

Coun Jean Taylor, who represents St John’s ward, said: “I am sure that all of the residents who live around the area will be extremely delighted. It has been 10 months of lobbying on behalf of the residents and they have been concerned about parking problems and more traffic on the streets.

“We are extremely pleased this has come to a satisfactory conclusion for the residents.”

Planning officers said the details submitted in the plan were inadequate especially with regard to public and pedestrian safety and car parking facilities.

A spokesman added: “The lack of information makes it difficult for the Highway Authority to assess the application and hence it would be detrimental to highway safety. A community use in such close proximity to established commercia;l uses is likely to result in conflcit beytween future occupiers of the community centre and exisiting commercial operations.”

In March Mark Williets, head of development and growth at SKDC, told the development control committee: “This particular application is unlikely to come before members for a couple of reasons. Number one is that yeasterday we wrote to them to invite them to withdraw the application. It’s quite clear the application was made describing the building as a community centre but a recent travel plan received last month is talking about a place of worship and these are very different things in planning terms.

“Reason two is a technical reason – it will be made invalid. Technically, the red edge of the application site, while it abuts a highway, it does not abut an adopted highway. So, Lincolnshire County Council has directed that we should make the application invalid on that basis.”

A case in which a 38-year-old Grantham woman stands accused of shoplifting three joints of lamb and one joint of beef valued at £80 has been adjourned to ensure the court summons is sent to the correct address.

Nicola Dowell, who was listed under a Castlegate address, did not attend the court hearing, but the probation service believes she may instead reside at another address in Hamilton Road.

Consequently, magistrates adjourned the case until October 13 so that a summons could be sent to the alternative address.

Officers from the local Neighbourhood Policing Team have increased their patrols in Wyndham Park, Grantham, after reports of a man exposing himself in the area.

Lincolnshire Police has received two reports from the public reporting a man seen indecently exposing himself to passers-by in the last few weeks.

Police in the area have been carrying out extra patrols since the reports to talk to local residents, offer community reassurance and also to try and find a man matching the description.

One witness said he was a white man, aged in his early to mid 30s, of slim to medium build and around 5ft 9in in height, with unkempt brown hair and beard.

Anyone who has seen a man matching that description acting suspiciously in the area is asked to contact Lincolnshire Police on 101 quoting incident 256 of 08/09/2014. Alternatively contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A 27-year-old mother admitted driving over the limit after drinking wine with friends.

Amy Gordon, of Paddington Way, Morton, denied drink driving along Harrowby Road, Grantham, on July 25.

Prosecutor Shelley Wilson said that on the day in question police received information from a member of the public that the driver of a Proton car might be drunk.

The vehicle was seen at 2.45am and stopped, and the driver, Gordon, failed a roadside breathalyser test and was arrested.

At Grantham Police Station Gordon was given the opportunity to take a blood test, and was slightly over the drink drive limit, having 93 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Jane Bauer, defending, said that this offence was committed shortly after the relationship between Gordon and her partner broke down.

She informed the court that Gordon has four-year-old twins and a three-month-old baby, and was also in the midst of losing her rented home.

It was for this reason and due to it being near to Gordon’s birthday that she went to see friends with whom she shared wine.

Mrs Bauer said her client mistakenly thought she was okay to drive afterwards.

Magistrates banned Gordon from driving for 12 months with the oppportunity to reduce this by three months through completion of a drink driver’s rehabilitation course.

She must also pay a fine 
of £100, prosecution costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £20.

A concert by the Band of the Household Cavalry will take place in St Wulfram’s Church to raise money for a soldier’s charity.

The concert, which is held every year in the county, raises money for the Army Benevolent Fund and is well supported in the town. Two years ago the Irish Guards played in the church at a successful event.

The concert will be held on Saturday, November 1, at 7.30pm.

Chairman of the ABF in Lincolnshire Neil McCorquodale said: “These are the Premier League bands of the armed forces. They do Trooping of the Colour and other major events and so we are very lucky to get them to come here.”

There will be a varied selection of music including music and songs from both world wars.

The band of the Household Cavalry is made up of two bands - The Life Guards and the Band of the Blues and Royals. Their main duties are ceremonial and include Trooping of the Colour, Beating Retreat and the daily Guard Mounting on Horse Guards Parade. Members of the band have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is the official charity of the Army. It was founded in 1944 to help soldiers and their families after the last war. The charity still helps veterans of the Second World War as well as more recent conflicts including Iraq.

Tickets for the concert cost £10 and are available from the Guildhall box office (Tel: 01476 406158, www.guildhallartscentre.com) or from the parish office on 01476 406158.

A pre-concert supper will be held at The Angel and Royal Hotel at 6pm. Bookings for the supper can be made direct with the hotel on 01476 565816.

The next public meeting of the Trust Board of United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust will be held tomorrow, (Tuesday, October 7) in Committee Room 1, Pilgrim Hospital, Boston.

The public meeting will begin at 9am.

Items for discussion at the meeting include the CQC inspection update, Lincolnshire Health and Care update, and performance and finance updates.

A Grantham man has denied being over the alcohol limit while driving on Spittlegate Level.

Nicholas Manning of Dexter Avenue entered a not guilty plea to one charge of having 150 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine.

Due to questions over the reading, the case has been adjourned for an interim hearing on November 3 so that evidence can be obtained ahead of a scheduled trial on January 14.