BURGLARS broke into Harlaxton Social Club on Sunday and made it away with cash and goods worth £500.
They struck in the early hours, breaking in through the back door of the club in Manor Drive, Harlaxton.
The crooks got away with £50 cash and a Toshiba TV worth £450.
Lincolnshire Police are appealing for witnesses. Information to: 101.
WALTON Girls Year 7 athletes won gold at the Lincolnshire Level 3 Inter-Schools Games at Lincoln last Wednesday.
Representing Lincolnshire South West Partnership, along with King’s School, the Walton students took part in the Super 8 Athletics competition.
Performing extremely well on the day, they competed against around 50 other schools to become overall champions, claiming the magnificent gold trophy as well as individual medals.
A fitting end to the day saw the athletes invited to watch the Olympic Torch celebrations at Yarborough Sports Centre.
Walton Girls joint head of PE Brenda Joint said: “I am extremely proud of the girls. Their success is the result of hard work, commitment and really enjoying their sport.”
Proudly showing off their trophy and medals, Walton Girls Year 7 athletes are - Abbie Byron, Letitia Barrowcliff, Beth Wright, Mollie Tyler, Amelia Pattinson, Chloe Williamson, Wiktoria Laszkowska, Amber Burnett and Molly Moore.
THE big weekend is almost here!
The two-day Festival for Heroes is this weekend, to be held at the Prince William of Gloucester Barracks on Somerby Hill.
The highly anticipated festival will feature family attractions, dazzling displays, stalls, daring activities, live music and more.
A stage and arena will be packed with events and shows throughout the weekend, while an area just for children will be created, featuring inflatables, paintballing, bungee trampolines and rides.
Meanwhile, dozens of exhibitors will set up in the shopping village, selling speciality food and drink, arts and crafts, home and giftware. Plus, there will be a cookery demonstration theatre.
A motor show and military village will offer even more to visitors to this great event.
The festival, which doubles as an Army recruitment drive, will raise money for Help for Heroes and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.
The Festival for Heroes will take place between 10am and 4pm on Saturday and between 10am and 6pm on Sunday.
A FREE shuttle bus will transport families to and from Grantham Bus Station throughout the day.
For the timetable, visit www.festivalforheroes.co.uk
* AN incredible array of musicians will hit the stage on Saturday night for Rock the Barracks.
Headlining the concert are X Factor stars Jamie ‘Afro’ Archer and Amelia Lily. The pair add a bit of showbiz to the Festival for Heroes weekend.
Joining them on stage will be singer Dennis Hannant, pop rockers That Sunday Feeling, Liverpools’ nu-skifflle band The Humming Birds, and pop/dub/reggae girl group VIDA.
Compering the concert will be comedian Sean Percival, a festival favourite who has Download, Edinburgh, Reading, Leeds and Sonisphere festivals under his belt.
And to top it off will be a firework finale, presented by Fuse Fireworks.
Gates will open at 7pm, and there will be a licensed bar and wide variety of food and drink available. Tickets are £20. They are available to buy from the Guildhall Arts Centre, in St Peter’s Hill in Grantham, or online at www.festivalforheroes.co.uk
Don’t miss this fantastic event, which is also raising money for the two festival charities - Help for Heroes and ABF The Soldiers’ Charty.
CATCH FRIDAY’S JOURNAL FOR A FULL PROGRAMME OF EVENTS AND ATTRACTIONS.
PRIORY Ruskin Academy pupil Alex Doig is off to California to represent the UK in the Callaway World Junior Golf Championships next week.
It will be the Belton Park Golf Club junior’s third qualification for the event in six years. Twelve-year-old Alex qualified through the British Junior Golf Tour in April, at Hockley golf club in Hampshire, shooting a net 69 to tie for first place.
The Callaway Junior World Golf Championships has 1,100 participants representing 54 countries and 42 states and is the largest international event in the world, unique for its international representation and cultural diversity.
Alex will be competing in the boys’ 11-12 age group over 6,024 yards on the Oak Glen course at the Sycuan Golf Resort in San Diego. He will also be competing in the Odyssey Putting Championship at Torrey Pines this Sunday.
LINCOLNSHIRE Police risk not being able to provide a ‘sufficiently efficient or effective service’ in the future according to a report that was released by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary this week.
The report, entitled Policing in austerity: One year on, notes the county’s increase in crime between December 2010 and December 2011, and a budget gap of more than £3 million.
It states: “There are some forces where the data collected and the professional judgement of the HMI suggest multiple concerns around the position they are in and the current plans to manage the spending review reductions. These are the Metropolitan Police Service, Devon and Cornwall Police and Lincolnshire Police.”
But a police spokesman said the force is ‘a forward looking and progressive organisation’.
He said: “It is the most cost-effective in the country, has embraced a modernising agenda and delivers good performance.
“Despite a strong savings profile a funding gap remains and we look forward to discussing ways to bridge that gap with the Policing Minister later this month.”
The force, which needs to save £21 million between 2011 and 2015, was noted as one of the largest but lowest funded, spending £171 a year per person, which is the lowest in the country and well below the average of £206.
This, the report said, makes the funding cuts of the comprehensive spending review ‘particularly challenging’. By spring this year £18 million of planned savings had been outlined leaving £3 million still to find.
The report continued: “In our professional judgement, there is a risk that three forces may not be able to provide a sufficiently efficient or effective service for the public in the future. These forces are Devon and Cornwall Police; Lincolnshire Police; and the Metropolitan Police Service.”
The inspectorate added that further work is to be done to make sure the savings are achieved and despite a planned staff reduction of 610, including 140 officers, more staff cuts are likely.
WITHAM Wheelers’ top time trialist Jim Coleman recorded two victories at the weekend, and broke a course record in the process.
On Saturday, Jim reduced the A18-based Lindsey Roads CC 10 course record by just one second in a nippy 19min 58sec on a roughly surfaced single carriageway.
Jim was a clear winner of the Newmarket 21 in 46.45 on a sporting course on Sunday.
l Three members of Witham Wheelers took part in the Sherburn-in-Elmet Circuit races in Yorkshire on Saturday.
In the under-12 race, Kerrigan Robb missed a three-man move off the front of the bunch. Unble to bridge the gap against a strong headwind, Kerrigan held on to take fourth in the group sprint.
James Carter kicked too early at the end of the four-lap under-16 race but clung on to take fifth place in the sprint.
Chris Carter gained his Category 3 licence after the Cat 4 only race in which he took fifth place. He also raced in the Cat 3/4 race and managed a top 20 finish despite tired legs.
l Reece Egner and Karl Baillie took part in the CC Giro circuit races last Saturday.
Seventy-six riders turned up for the Youth A (16 and under) race so the organisers arranged two 20-minute qualifying heats for a 60-rider final.
Karl finished in the front group of his heat to ensure qualification but, competing at national level for the first time, Reece missed on in a heat marred by heavy rain.
Karl was aggressive throughout the hour-long final and took 17th place in the sprint. He was also in action the following day in another national series event at Solihull, but the fast, twisting track was not to his liking and he was pleased to take 25th in the hectic bunch sprint.
l Reece and Adam Egner have started to gain confidence on the track and secured several placings in the Youth races of the latest track league meeting at Scunthorpe on Friday.
Reece finished second in the three-lap scratch race, the four-lap A/B points race, and was also runner-up in the first one-lap sprint. Adam won the fourth one-lap sprint.
l Peter Cocker contested the five-day Ras De Cymru in Wales as part of a composite Lincolnshire team last week.
Peter finished 10th in the opening hilly five-mile time trial. The second stage was abandoned due to floods but Peter managed 19th on the third day’s 59-mile road stage to maintain his top 10 place.
His depleted team lost 3min 38sec in the fourth stage team time trial which dropped Peter out of the top 50.
He returned to the top 50 after the fifth stage in which he finished in a small leading bunch. He finished just outside the top 30 after a brave breakaway on the final stage.
His final placing was 39th overall from 85 finishers, 5.37 behind the winner. Peter was second in the King of the Mountains and took a share of the most aggressive rider prize on stage five.
l Jim Coleman equalled his own Gorse Lane course record of 20.47 in the Wheelers’ latest 10-mile handicap league time trial on Tuesday night.
Improving by more than a minute, Nigel Easthaugh was first on handicap. Overall he is second, seven points behind leader John Farmer who only took one point this week.
Results: Jim Coleman 20:47 1 20:00 9 2, Patrick Cutmore 23:59 2 19:57 7 4, Neil Sentence 24:17 3 20:30 13, Harry Browning 24:35 4 19:48 5 6, John Farmer 24:45 5 20:15 10 1,Paul Conneely 25:45 6 21:04 19, Peter Watson 25:58 7 19:27 4 7, Jacob Storey 26:27 8 21:24 21, Kim Paxton 26:37 9 20:22 11, Dave Herd 26:43 10 21:38 22, Paul Fairey 27:46 11 20:24 12, Louise George 28:56 12 19:06 2 9, Michael Smalley 29:11 13 21:01 18, Tony Hardenberg 29:16 14 20:40 14, Dave Beckett 29:25 15 19:53 6 5, Peter Storey 29:57 16 21:14 20, Trevor White 30:41 17 20:52 16, Nigel Eastaugh 30:48 18 18:54 1 10, Ian Evans 30:55 19 50:55 23, Natalie Eastaugh 31:30 20 19:58 8 3, Gary Kirton 32:57 21 20:44 15, Dawn Potts 35:20 22 19:21 3 8, Helen Boott 36:14 23.
TRIATHLETE Jez Page achieved the accolade of Ironman when he completed the Nottingham Outlaw event at Holme Pierrepont on Sunday.
A member of Grantham Athletic Club, Jez completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle and 26.2-mile run in a total time of 12hr 20min 21sec, with split times of 1.22.41, 5.46.31 and 5.00.25.
Jez’s feat was all the more remarkable as he is unable to run. Surgery to an injured knee has seen little improvement and Jez had to power walk the marathon leg of the Ironman triathlon.
This week’s guest writer is David Burling, chair Grantham Constituency Labour Party
One thing I love about being involved in local politics is I have the opportunity to talk to a wide range of people from all sorts of backgrounds.
Recently, I have been having a great deal of discussions with a significant number of people, trying to find out what matters to them.
I have noticed in a number of these discussions a similar topic comes up.
That topic is health.
Obviously, we have the normal worries about the hospital and the genuine concerns over what could happen to the hospital in the long term.
However, I have noted an increased number of people worried about the service they are receiving from their GP.
One conversation I had was with a woman who had gone to her GP about a continuing heart problem.
Although there were genuine medical issues at hand, the nature of the conversation held with her GP was around the cost of the potential diagnostic procedures and treatment, rather than the clinical need.
This even led her to take a look at the possibility of how much extra it would cost to go private to ensure she received the treatment.
It must be noted that I have a great deal of respect for the medical profession, but feel uneasy when I hear examples of money and cost entering into what should be a clinical conversation.
This, however, may be the future as GPs are put in charge of the commissioning process and pressure could be applied to the patient to choose the least costly option. I have real worries that as the new structure takes hold, more and more conversations are going to be held with the patient in this manner, and services that were once considered universal in the health service will become rationed, or in the worst case scenario, chargeable to the patient
In my opinion, our community’s health should not come down to cost.
A person’s clinical need should be the top priority in our GPs and our health authorities’ minds. If it is not, then people will not be getting the best from their NHS.
CHILDREN affected by the Chernobyl disaster are visiting Grantham, invited by the Vale of Belvoir branch of Friends of Chernobyl’s Children.
Each year, volunteers host a group of youngsters from Eastern Europe. The trips are designed to offer them a respite where they can detoxify their systems.
They receive health checks, dental appointments and vitamins, and are also taken to the Grantham branch of Specsavers for free eye exams and glasses.
JAPANESE students have paid their Grantham counterparts a visit.
Their trip is a result of the partnership between the Minami High School in Fukushima, and Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ High School in Grantham. The schools are engaged in a foreign exchange programme which has blossomed over the past 19 years.
The Grantham girls were devastated when an earthquake and tsunami hit the Fukushima region last year, followed by explosions at a nearby nuclear plant. Thankfully, the school was empty on the day of the earthquake and none of the pupils were hurt. On hearing the news, KGGS pupils sent over good wishes in the from of origami paper cranes, a symbol of peace.
THE Cultural and Olympic Tour has reached its penultimate week with visits to Harlaxton, Great Ponton and Cliffedale primary schools.
Each school’s bronze ambassadors and teachers facilitated excellent Olympic assemblies that inspired pupils. The assemblies were followed up with all three schools dedicating the day to Olympic-themed activities.
Harlaxton pupils competed in a sports day, and once concluded many pupils were able to leave the school early to see the London 2012 torch relay run through Grantham.
Great Ponton pupils participated in a wide range of activities.
Headteacher Jon Clack said: “Our school was delighted to receive the cultural tur torch. After a super opening assembly we spent the day participating in a range of different sports activities including paralympic sports like Boccia and Blind Footballl.
“The Olympic values were celebrated during the day and the children had a terrific time.”
Children at Cliffedale enjoyed a break from normal lessons on Monday when the school held an ‘Olympics Day’ starting with an opening assembly.
Pupils from Reception to Year 6 learned about the seven Olympic values, and the history of the Olympics and Paralympics. They tried a range of sports for able and disabled athletes, including boccia, blind football, racquet skills and field events.
The opening ceremony included a guest appearance by John Mapletoft, who ran as an Olympic torchbearer in Mansfield. He talked about his experience and showed the children his Olympic Torch.
Cliffedale headteacher Robert Young said: “John has been teaching table tennis at this school for years and it was wonderful for him to come in today to talk to the children about his role as a torchbearer. We are all very proud of him.”
WATKINS has raised thousands of pounds for charity with a bash to celebrate their 100th birthday.
The Westgate butchers is 100 years old this year and to celebrate a special evening was organised at Belton Woods.
Linda Newall of Watkins said: “It was amazing - fantastic.
“There was more than 200 people there with music from Crazy Ape and gaming tables for everyone.
“Everyone said they had an amazing time.”
An estimated £2,500 was raised at the event which will go to Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Prior to the ball the butchers received a surprising correspondence from Buckingham Palace.
Linda’s husband, Terry Newall, had written to the Queen about Watkins’ 100th birthday, enclosing old photographs featured in the Journal earlier this year and displayed on the walls at Watkins. The letter also informed the Queen of the plans for the fund-raising ball.
Watkins received a reply on Buckingham Palace headed paper from Christopher Sandamas, Chief Clerk to the Queen.
The letter stated: “Her Majesty was most interested to receive the enclosed photographs and the history of the business.
“The Queen sends her best wishes to all those who will be present for a most memorable and enjoyable event.”
Linda Newall said: “We couldn’t believe it when it came through the post.
“It’s nice that they even acknowledged it.”
PHOTO CREDIT (ball pic): Gordon Arch Photography
GRANTHAM scientist Dr Val Gibson has been involved with work on the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva for almost 20 years.
Today’s news of a potentially historic discovery of the Higgs Boson has been dubbed by scientist and TV personality Brian Cox “the biggest scientific discovery of my lifetime and without doubt one of the biggest scientific discoveries of all time” and “one of the great days in the history of science”.
So the Journal tracked Dr Gibson to Melbourne, Australia where she is attending an International Conference on High Energy Physics and asked her to help put Journal readers in the picture.
Journal: Why are today’s results so special?
Dr Gibson: Today was truly a momentous occasion. It is not often that we get to claim a “real discovery” and today we have enough data to do just that.
For many years High Energy Physicists have been trying to understand why the fundamental particles of nature have the properties they have. In particular, why they have mass.
Today’s discovery is the most important step in understanding this most fundamental of questions.
It is certain that something has been discovered and that something may be called the “Higgs Boson”.
Journal: How did you feel when today’s news was announced?
Dr Gibson: It is not often that a “real discovery” is made. I think the last time this happened in High Energy Physics was the discovery of the “charm” quark in 1976.
It’s a once in a lifetime experience and nothing can prepare you for such an occasion. The only thing you can do is enjoy it and celebrate!
Journal: What are the possible implications of today’s news?
Dr Gibson: The first task is to establish whether the discovery is truly the Higgs Boson. If it is, then we have to understand why it has the mass it has (126 times the mass of the proton) and then look to see if there are any more like it. This is really just the start of the journey.
Dr Gibson is a former KGGS pupil and is the UK Spokesperson for the LHCb experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in CERN, Geneva.
A COMPANY proposing to build five wind turbines near Grantham, each standing 415ft, says it will work with the district and parish councils.
But RWE Npower has refused to rule out going over councillor’s heads to a planning inspector if the decision does not go their way.
The turbines are planned for land at Temple Hill, north of Hougham and south-west of Brandon.
RWE spokesman Ffion Davies said: “Local planning authorities are urged by government to maximise the generation of renewable energy whilst ensuring an appropriate level of protection for residents.
“We want to work with South Kesteven and local councils to get this balance right as onshore wind plays an integral part of the UK’s energy mix.
“If a proposal was refused, we would consider our options at that time and consider why the proposal was refused before taking any further action.”
RWE said they expect the wind turbines would create two permanent engineering jobs for maintaining the wind farm.
GRANTHAM Town and York City fought out an entertaining 1--1 draw in front of an enthusiastic crowd at The Meres on Saturday.
Both sides had chances throughout the game and although Football League side York played possession football at times, with Grantham just watching, a draw was a fair result.
In an enterprising opening from Grantham, playing in an unfamiliar 4-4-2 formation, Lee Potts took on his full back and delivered a great cross for Gio Carchedi, but his header was kept out by Michael Ingham in the York goal.
Both sides played some strong football early on looking for the breakthrough. A number of robust challenges went in as neither side treated the game as a friendly. Half chances came at both ends but neither side took advantage.
Potts created another good chance for Grantham just after the half hour mark. His cross was met by Karl Demidh, but he hit the crossbar with Ingham beaten. When the ball was put back into the danger zone, Demidh was involved again, this time the ball was squeezed out to Jamie McGhee who beat Ingham but also hit the woodwork.
York could have taken the lead 10 minutes before half time. Matty Blair got away from Paul Grimes on the Grantham left. His cross was initially missed inside the Grantham penalty area but fell to Jason Walker. His shot struck Grant Brindley on the arm and referee Mr Smith pointed straight to the spot. Walker took the penalty only to see Jimmy Lindley make a good save from the spot-kick and Walker’s follow-up.
Lindley was in action again as half time approached and York looked for an interval lead. A couple of corners and a long throw caused consternation for the Grantham defence. From the throw, Blair’s header was tipped over the bar by Lindley.
The visitors made a number of half time substitutions but it did not change the game as both sides came out and exchanged chances in the first 10 minutes of the second half.
Ashley Chambers outpaced Grimes and pulled a cross back for Jamie Reed. He miskicked and Sam Purcicoe cleared the danger.
At the other end, McGhee and Demidh combined with Potts to open up the York defence. Potts’s shot was turned on to the post by Paul Musslewhite, but offside had already been flagged.
Musslewhite was busy again, turning away a shot from Carchedi on 57 minutes after good work by Demidh and Grimes had made the opportunity. York broke the deadlock five minutes later. Grantham thought they had cleared the danger but Patrick McLaughlin lined up a shot from 30 yards out and rifled his effort past Lindley into the top corner of the net.
That goal could have opened the floodgates as York began to stroke the ball about comfortably, but solid defending from Grantham kept the visitors at bay and it was Grantham who threatened more, equalising on 76 minutes.
The York defence failed to deal well with a good cross and the ball fell to Demidh on the edge of the penalty area. He struck a sweet shot that gave Musslewhite no chance.
The York keeper kept scores level eight minutes from time when Carchedi won the ball and played it on for Tony Battersby. His low shot was saved by the York stopper.
The visitors’ last chance came when Chambers got away from the Grantham defence again and crossed for Dominic Knowles. Grantham kept their goal intact with more good defending to ensure the George and Marge Freeston Trophy was shared between the two sides.
Grantham Town Lindley, Purcicoe, Grimes, Brindley, Phil Watt, Robinson (Battersby, 71), McGhee (Briers 80), Nwadike, Demidh, Carchedi (Richards, 83), Potts. Subs not used: Higginson. Att: 232.
A TALENTED teenager from Grantham is to have her artwork displayed in Grantham Museum next month.
Willow Stacey of North Parade will have her work displayed at the museum form September 6 until September 8 before she heads off to university.
GRAB a bargain read at a summer book fair at Belton House this weekend.
The National Trust property near Grantham will hold the fair both tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday, between 10.30am and 5pm. It will be held in the second-hand bookshop, which has rasied over £42,000 in just two-and-a-half years.
All proceeds from book sales fund a wide range of wildlife and conservation projects at Belton.
Book donations are welcome.
A CONSERVATIVE MP has spoken out against internet comments calling for celebrations to mark the death of Margaret Thatcher.
MP Louise Mensch took to Twitter to call for the Labour Party to distance themselves from remarks made on social networking sites - only to receive more comments herself.
The MP said: “Hi there, @UKLabour! can you disassociate yourselves from (a Facebook user) who’s just invited me to party when Lady Thatcher dies?”
She then called for the Labour party to expel anyone who “celebrates the death of this vulnerable lady”.
The MP then began retweeting messages aimed directly to her which supported celebrations to mark the death of the Grantham-born Prime Minister.
One said there is going to be “the mother of all parties when Margaret Thatcher dies”, while another said “when she dies there will be so many parties you won’t need an invite”.
A Labour spokesman responded: “Language like this has no place on politics or civilised society. No one should be wanting to celebrate the death of anyone.”
LOCAL authorities say they are doing all they can to combat anti-social behaviour in an area of Grantham rife with problems.
Residents of the Sharpe Road and Signal Road area of town attended an extraordinary meeting on Friday, held to discuss what is being done to crack down on the culprits who commit ASB time and time again.
Issues facing the neighbourhood have been extensively reported in the Journal.
Neighbours agreed that police, district council departments, youth offending teams and other organisations involved are doing all they can - but said it is not enough. One neighbour said being at home is “like being in prison” and that yobs re-offend because “they have nothing to fear”.
Central government must pass further legislation, they said, to protect victims of ASB and punish those committing it.
Their comments came as some authority representatives admitted eviction procedures can drag on and sentencing for young offenders is not enough.
Pc Jane Ellis, who was praised during the meeting for all the work she has carried out in the neighbourhood, said: “Since the last time we were here at this meeting I’ve visited residents, been up and down the street on foot and by car, and if I’ve seen them stopped and searched them at every opportunity I get.
“But on the whole, calls have dropped.”
Ian Richardson, South Kesteven District Council’s interim head of housing and neighbourhoods, listened to neighbours’ concnerns and said: “Clearly you have some legitimate concerns. A number of agencies need to be involved and most of these agencies are doing a lot of hard work to try and resolve matters, with some limited success. But clearly it hasn’t eradicated the problems you’re facing.”
Chairman Ray Wootten added: “Rest assured they are doing their best.”
Residents thanked representatives for their work so far.
THESE lucky tots spent the day rumbling in the jungle at Swingbridge Children’s Centre.
The centre held an open day where parents could bring their children along for a day of activities including making paper plate piranhas and paper snakes.
Julie Ashworth of the children’s centre said: “The centre was as busy as I’ve ever seen it and the children had a great time.
“We got some good feedback from parents too.”
More open days are planned this summer including a Wicked Wizards and Fab Fairies day on August 7 and a Dino Day on August 28. Both are free and run from 10am until 3pm.