Work to replace tarmac and make footpaths in Grantham’s Wyndham Park safer will take place for two weeks later this month.
From Thursday, February 19, park-users will see improvements being made to paths across the park. Access to the park’s tea rooms will be unaffected.
SKDC said it apologises for any inconvenience caused and asks users to be patient when certain paths have restricted access.
A fire crew from Brant Broughton attended a car fire on Main Road in Welbourn yesterday.
The crew used two hosereels and breathing apparatus to put out the fire. The incident happened at about 11.30am.
Stoke Rochford seniors revived a format which they had not used for a number of years.
The Sharman’s Shambles proved a good test, with two from three scoring a medal on the front nine, plus a stableford on the back nine, reaching a final score by subtracting the stableford from the medal.
Winners on countback with a score of 27 were Mike Nixon, Ernie Armstrong and Mike Palmer. Runners-up were Eddie Plant, Phil Hewes and Barry Coop. Third with 28 were Tom Keegan, Trevor Harvey and Eddie Malloy.
Overall leader is Brian White with 41 points, from Phil White 34, Alan Dolby 31 and Barry Coop 29.
A ding-dong battle is developing for the Slack Goblet which is awarded to the player recording the greatest number of single points in the series. Three players lead the race with nine single points, Dave Waling, John Wright and Keith Eddy, with John Smeeton next on eight.
SUDBROOK MOOR
Overall winner of January’s Rainbow Series event was won by Darren Nicholson with a scorecard of 39 points, closely pursued by Caroline Davis on 38, Jeff Ward 38, Michael Coupland 37 and Dick Marshall 37.
Others in the top 10 were Alan Cuthbertson, Chris Wilmot, Barry Rohland, Clive Breedon, Mick Lincoln and Onie Ison. CSS was 40 points for gents and 38 for ladies.
The optional twos sweep was shared by Caroline Davis on the 12th hole, John Came on the sixth, and Barry Rohland on the seventh.
The event remained hugely successful following its change from a pairs and teams format last year
to a mixed individual stableford. It will also be an accumulator event with regular roll-ups throughout the year.
l Order of merit points were accrued by the junior with adult pairs in the January Greensomes Medal, with all partnerships enjoying equal points.
Taking part were Richard and Sam Howes, Martin and Lilliya Greene, Trevor and Robert Eldred, Luke Harley and Mia Mawson, Jasmin and Melissa Mawson, and Stuart Smith and Blake Smith.
Police would like to hear from anybody who has information about a theft of a catalytic converter from a van in Fulbeck.
Two people were seen removing a converter from the van on South Heath Lane, Fulbeck, on Monday. Anybody with information is asked to call police on 101 and quote incident number 334 of February 10.
Grantham Running Club’s Nicky Jefferson took top spot as she crossed the line as the first lady in the Rauceby Ripper on Saturday.
Nicky completed the nine-mile multi-terrain course a mile in front of the second placed female runner.
Nicky said: “I was surprised by the margin between myself and the second lady; all the fast ladies must have stayed in bed on Saturday.
“I am not a cross country runner as road running is my main effort but I actually really enjoyed the route and will certainly do it again. It was very well organised and the support all around the route from the marshals to the public was great.”
l Grantham RC’s Paul Rushworth took part in “La Course de Printemps” 10km road race in Vietnam.
The race was organised by the French International School in Saigon and attracted around 200 local and international runners.
The heat of the rising sun made the second half of the race more difficult but, despite the hot, humid conditions, Paul finished in 44min 57 sec.
l Closer to home, Sarah High and Lucy Roberts joined GAC’s Keith Measures and John Bainbridge to compete in the mixed team competition at the Caythorpe Dash.
They finished 11th in 8hr 54min 16sec, with Sarah at 2:05:59 and Lucy at 2:20:49. Mark Wilson also completed as an individual in 1:48:03.
l Grantham RC organised the weekend’s Parkrun in Newark, with volunteers giving up their time to marshal and officiate the event.
SATURDAY
Northern Premier League
Premier Division – Ashton United v Grantham Town (3pm).
United Counties League
Premier Division – Harrowby United v Wisbech Town (3pm).
Grantham & District Saturday League
Premier Division – Barrowby v Blue Pig.
Culverthorpe Cup – Beehive United v Ancaster Rams, Bottesford Reserves v Greyhounders, Croxton v Caythorpe.
Rugby
Nottinghamshire Pennant League
Group 2 – Mansfield 3rd v Kesteven 2nd (2.15pm).
SUNDAY
Football
Arion Grantham & District Sunday League
Premier Division Cup, semi-final – Osbournby Rangers v Witham Wanderers.
Premier Division – Ropsley v Lions, Long Bennington v Nobody Inn Athletic.
Division One – Caythorpe Sports & Social v Ruskington, Nobody Inn Athletic Reserves v Digby Lions, Holdingham v Ancaster Athletic, Totemic v Colsterworth United.
Lincolnshire Intermediate League
Under-18 South – Swineshead Institute v Harrowby United (2.15pm).
TUESDAY
Football
Lincolnshire Senior Shield
Semi-final – Stamford v Grantham Town (7.45pm).
United Counties League
Premier Division – Harrowby United v Holbeach United (7.45pm).
THURSDAY
Football
Lincolnshire Intermediate League
Under-21 – Grantham Town v Sleaford Town (7.30pm).
FOOTBALL RESULTS
Northern Premier League
Premier Division – Grantham Town 3 Witton Albion 1.
United Counties League
Premier Division – Eynesbury Rovers 5 Harrowby United 3.
Grantham & District Saturday League
Premier Division – Barrowby 2 Caythorpe 6, Blue Pig 3 Bottesford Reserves 0.
HITS Consultancy Senior Knockout Cup – Aslockton Cranmers Reserves 3 Cranmer Arms 1.
Memorial Cup – Greyhounders 2 Beehive United 5.
Arion Grantham & District Sunday League
Premier Division – Witham Wanderers 4 Lions 3, Ropsley 3 Nobody Inn Athletic 1, Osbournby Rangers v Long Bennington HW.
Division One Cup, semi-final – Nobody Inn Athletic Reserves 4 Colsterworth United 2.
Division One – Ruskington 3 Ancaster Athletic 1, Digby Lions 1 Totemic 8.
Grantham Table Tennis Winter League is entering the last third of the season and the pace is hotting up at the top of all three divisions.
In Division One, Chandlers A have gone to the top spot. With their team strengthened by the return of Adam Curran, they defeated second-placed Cranmer A to give them an eight-point lead.
BT A defeated BTL 9-1 to establish themselves in the top position of Division Two. Jody Cox is their top player, having only lost once so far this season. At the bottom of the league, bolstered by the inclusion of Adam Curran, Chandlers D are moving away from the bottom place .
Division Three is headed by Chandlers C, with Alex Mercer beaten only twice so far. Ancaster D have moved back to second place and are still unbeaten this season.
With most teams having their last six matches still to contest, it is all to play for before the Summer League starts in May.
Police are urging the public to be vigilant following a spate of thefts of catalytic converters.
A number of incidents have been reported in the Grantham and Bourne areas regarding thefts from vehicles. The types of vehicle targeted have been mainly 4x4 and LGVs ut the offences are not exclusive to these.
A/Insp Adi Wootton, of Grantham Neighbourhood Policing, said: “We are asking the public to be aware and mindful of these thefts, be vigilant during hours of darkness and utilise lights and other home security measures to try and help deter any potential criminals.
“If any suspicious activity is seen please record as much information as possible without putting yourself in any danger and call the police on 101 as soon as possible. We are investigating these thefts but any extra information that we can get from the community may help us and we are grateful to the public for their assistance.”
A planning application to build eight houses to the rear of The Royal Oak pub in Long Bennington, has been submitted to South Kesteven District Council.
Applicants Newriver Retail Property Trust are looking to build the eight properties on currently unused grassland, located behind the pub and its car park on the Main Road.
The developers plan to make use of the existing driveway between the pub and car park, which would be extended to create a single access road running the length of the site and with a turning head at the end.
This would serve eight new homes, all with off-road parking, which the applicants state will ensure there is no overflow on to the Main Road.
The proposed properties include a detached three-bedroom house and two semi-detached houses behind the car park and existing barn. Further up the new access road, behind the pub and its garden, they plan to build five detached four-bedroom homes.
All the houses will be two storey dwellings, and two will be affordable housing.
The application acknowledges the presence of several Grade II listed properties close to the site, and states that for this reason and to fit in with the character of the village, the new houses will be traditional in style.
The full planning application is available to view on South Kesteven District Council’s website at tinyurl.com/pdqcdch
Love is clearly in the air at Belvoir Castle, which has seen a 50 per cent increase in weddings in the past 12 months.
The prestigious Leicestershire events venue and home to the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, has seen a spike in bookings over the last year.
This is in part thanks to the unveiling of the Lakeside Marquee, which has tripled capacity for couples looking to invite a longer guest list.
“We have seen a demand for bigger, more elaborate weddings, and knew we had to offer something alongside the spectacular castle setting,” explained Tanith Wesson, events business development manager.
The castle itself, which can cater for 120 guests, benefits from being situated atop a hill overlooking surrounding countryside.
The Lakeside Marquee, which is big enough to host up to 500 people, is set in a landscape of trees and grassland.
Belvoir Castle cites the increased demand for winter weddings as another reason for the rise in bookings.
These include one groom-to-be set to marry this Valentine’s weekend, who actually booked the venue before proposing to his fiancé a fewweeks earlier on New Year’s Eve.
“Short engagements aren’t unusual,” continues Tanith. “Couples visit the grounds and fall in love with the location immediately, so a six-month engagement can be fairly common.
“Despite being a very popular venue, every wedding at Belvoir Castle is completely personalised to the couple. Our events team are great, and are always on hand to turn the most unusual ideas into a reality.”
The castle has seen a host of unique weddings in 2014, with themes including Halloween, a funfair complete with dodgems, and fantasy-inspired with a carriage pulled by unicorns.
* For more information, visit www.belvoircastle.com/weddings
A traffic survey commissioned by developer Larkfleet comes to an end today (Friday). The survey involves numerous monitors and CCTV camers around the town.
Larkfleet wants to build more than 500 houses in Manthorpe and last week won the right to challenge a court order preventing it from stopping the construction of the east-west bypass and associated housing development.
Lincolnshire County Council says it granted an application for the survey with equipment positioned at 23 locations around town. These locations include Manthorpe Road, roads on the Manthopre estate, Low Road in Manthorpe, Snakt Augustin Way, Wharf Road, St Peter’s Hill , High Street and Brook Street.
Video cameras have also been placed at seven junctions, including three on Longcliffe Road and two on Belton Lane.
But resident Simon Cole says the survey equipment has been placed in some unusual positions.
Mr Cole said: “Some may have noticed, as did I, that a number of these devices have been placed in what you might call odd places. For example, in Rosedale Drive on the Manthorpe estate, which is a cul-de-sac, a device has been placed at the every end of the close, after which are four houses with one house not even having a car. There are a number of other cases where devices are placed in similarly pointless locations.”
Mr Cole added: “Larkfleet has no interest in the well-being of Grantham, never has, never will. The proposed development is a commercial venture, nothing more.”
A spokesman for Larkfleet homes confirmed the survey had been commissioned by the company.
She said the survey had received full consent from the council as a result of noise and air quality studies in the district. She said a scoping report had suggested noise and air quality were an issue across South Kesteven.
She could not confirm when, or if, a planning application for the Manthorpe development would be submitted to SKDC.
A bid to stop water leaking on to a road and causing a hazard for traffic and pedestrians could be in sight after more than 20 years.
No solution has been found to the problem because it is not certain from where the water is coming.
Some believe its source is a nearby underground reservoir belonging to Anglian Water, and others from a spring in the fields next to the road.
The water is dangerous as it can ice over and it is breaking up the Tarmac on the road.
But a solution may be on the horizon. County council highways manager Mark Heaton said at a site meeting this week that he would investigate a solution which would probably mean channelling the water into an existing drain.
District councillor George Chivers, who represents the Belmont ward, said: “When it’s icy it’s like a skating rink coming up the hill and the cars are all over the place. But the only warning of ice is on the other side of the road coming down.”
Coun Richard Davies, executive member for highways on the county council, said he believed the problem was Anglian Water’s. He said: “We seem to be in a stalemate having to prove it’s Anglian Water’s problem.”
Mike Bellamy has lived in Harrowby Lane for 30 years. His house is the last before the hill. A few years ago, he built a wall next to his home to keep the water out.
Mr Bellamy said: “Sometimes the water still comes pouring over the wall and up to the house and you find yourself standing in four inches of water.”
Anglian Water denies the water is coming from its reservoir. Antony Innes, from Anglian Water, said: “We have been made aware of water running along Harrowby Lane, Grantham, in the past. After inspecting our pipes and nearby underground storage reservoir, we are confident the water is not coming from part of our network and believe it is a natural spring.
“Although there isn’t anything we can do to prevent this spring from appearing, a few years ago, to try help reduce the impact on the community, we built a drain to channel the water away from the road. One of our engineers will be visiting the area to check that this drain is not blocked and working as it should.”
A whole community effort will see thousands of pounds raised for Comic Relief, hope colleagues at a Grantham supermarket who are leading a fund-raising campaign.
Representatives of various schools and organisations gathered at Sainsbury’s this week to hear about the vision of store manager Debbie Wrightson and her team.
Debbie said: “Let’s get the community of Grantham working together. It’s not about Sainsbury’s, it’s about the community coming together and having a whole lot of fun for Comic Relief.
“Comic Relief is an amazing event. They say you’re never more than 30 miles away from a project funded by Red Nose Day. Let’s be a part of it.”
She talked about setting a target of £7,000 or £10,000...but this quickly rocketed up to £15,000 as support for the appeal grew.
The idea is that the town’s Sainsbury’s, which nationally is an official partner of Comic Relief, acts as a hub, promoting upcoming events and collecting money raised. There will be a container in the foyer marked in monetary values to monitor the progress of the appeal.
Already, two events are planned – the first is a sponsored dance-a-thon over the weekend of March 7-8. Dance groups will be invited to show off their moves in the foyer throughout the weekend.
Another event in the diary is a duck race on the River Witham through Wyndham Park on Saturday, March 14. Partner schools and organisations will sell the ducks at £1 each, with prizes going to the fastest duck and also the best decorated duck.
Supermarket staff also plan to hold a raffle and would appreciate donations of raffle prizes.
* If you would like to be part of the campaign, which will be supported by the Journal, email the team at Sainsbury’s via hro.grantham@sainsburys.co.uk
A European eagle owl measuring approximately two feet is missing from an Allington home.
Malcolm Robbins who lives just off the A1 at Allington, discovered this morning that the aviary belonging to their owl Tash was open and that the bird was nowhere to be found.
People may also be able to spot Tash from the rings and jesses she has on.
He said: “She is a big bird, and quite distinctive. She is quite friendly, but should anyone see or find her they are best calling us on 07734845288 or 01400281196.”
The King’s School in Grantham could soon renovate its science block at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds if it is successful in its bid for a grant.
The plan includes creating two new science labs and refurbishing others as well as creating a new entrance in the middle of the block which has three floors.
School bursar Peter Kirkbride would not say how much the building work will cost as the school is going through a tendering process at the moment. But he said the sum was “substantial” and would be more than the cost of the new sports hall at Arnoldfield which recently opened at a cost more than £700,000.
Mr Kirkbride said: “A major part of the work is the renovation of all the science labs. The building is solid but old and it needs bringing into the 21st century. We have some really good designs for the new labs. We have so many boys who are keen to do science which is a good thing. We will find out if we have been successful in our bid in early March.”
The plans for the science block also include a lift to make it more accessible to all students and staff, including those with disabilities. The plan also includes replacement windows. A small existing staircase will be taken out, allowing for larger prep rooms and offices on all three floors.
The school’s new sports hall was officially opened by Grantham MP Nick Boles and former England cricketer Angus Fraser last week.
Grantham Hospital has submitted plans for an extension to its Kingfisher ward to form a new entrance to the children’s clinic with extra car parking space.
The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, is making the alterations to the ward as part of a scheme to refurbish it.
The new lobby extension will provide a dedicated entrance to the clinic so children and their families do not need to enter via the corridors in the hospital.
As part of the plan, about 14 extra parking spaces are also proposed including three disabled spaces allowing people to park close to the clinic.
The applicant says the children’s clinic will be operated using exisiting staff members.
A classic Ferrari has sold for a record £12.1 million (€18.5 million) at an auction spanning one businessman’s entire car collection.
A 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sold for the new high-water mark at the Artcurial Retromobile auction in Paris, where a further eight new ceilings that were set for Ferraris, Maseratis, classic Mercedes-Benz and twice for Talbot-Lago T26s.
The undoubted star of the show was the California, but with five cars selling for more than €1 million and 10 selling for more than €500,000, the sale realised more than €46 million.
The Ferrari headed the Baillon Collection; the life’s accruement of an industrialist from western France, featured many cars that had been originally saved from the
scrapheap during the turbulent French 1950s and 60s.
They were in ‘barn find’ condition, having been left untouched in original condition for decades. All 59 cars from the collection sold to new owners for a total surpassing €25 million.
Matthieu Lamoure, Managing Director of Artcurial Motorcars declared: “These exceptional results spring from work that has taken six months.
“News of the Baillon Collection has travelled around the world. International buyers came together in one room to pay homage to Roger Baillon. This is a significant collection that has enjoyed a significant success.”
Pierre Novikoff, specialist in the Artcurial Motorcars department said: “This will go down in history as an extraordinary sale.
“The Baillon discovery has been an incredible adventure. In addition to the passion it has aroused in enthusiasts, it is the unique story of one man’s dream, carried on by an entire family.
“The successful sale of the 59 cars in the Baillon Collection reflects the international response by collectors who have been touched by these phantom-like automobiles.”
A new ‘e-learning portal’ developed by Lincolnshire County Council could help Grantham businesses move with the times.
Keeping up to date with the latest computer software or advances in social media can be a daunting prospect, but it has been made simpler by the LCC project, which gives information and training on everything from social media to search engine optimisation.
Called the Business Lincolnshire E-learning Portal, which is hosted on the existing BusinessLincolnshire.com website, the service is open to small- and medium-sized businesses. As well as factsheets, how-to guides and videos it also offers a range of free online sessions, from courses on cloud computing through to developing a digital marketing strategy.
Information: businesslincolnshire.com
Months of ill feeling in the small village of Heydour may soon come to an end, hope the owners of a business at the centre of the row.
Craig and Paula Williams run Team Bootcamp, a fitness retreat based in Heydour House, which over the last 18 months has received a number of complaints from people living in the village and neighbouring Oasby and Aisby.
The grievances revolve mostly around noise levels caused by music and trainers shouting commands to clients.
However, Craig and Paula hope they can begin to build bridges with their neighbours and have taken the first step by investing in wireless headsets.
Craig said: “It’s been well publicised that we’ve had issues with neighbours recently due to noise and the impact the noise that we have created has had on other people. We are deeply sorry about that.
“We have come up with a solution. We’ve started to use wireless headsets. We have 50 sets that we can put on our clients and all our staff. The trainers can talk in their microphones to speak to people directly into their ears and we can play music through them, dramatically reducing the noise.”
The radio headsets have been a “big hit” with both bootcampers and local residents, said Craig. Meanwhile, during tests they were found to increase safety.
Paula, who told the Journal in December she was “heartbroken” by the community’s reaction to the fitness retreat, hopes to bring an end to complaints.
She said: “I just wish we had had this technology when we first launched.”
In a further bid to reduce noise levels, an obstacle course which was located next door to a churchyard frequently visited by villagers has been relocated further away.
A man has been found guilty at Lincoln Crown Court today for 17 offences in relation to possessing and selling dangerous part-worn tyres.
Luke McKenzie, aged 50, was trading at MOSS Tyres in the Springfield Garden Industrial Estate. Following complaints from members of the public, Lincolnshire Trading Standards began keeping tabs on his operation.
Officers completed a test purchase and an expert confirmed the item was lethal, stating it was one of the worst examples he had ever seen. Large quantities of tyres were seized from the premises. Examination of the products revealed serious defects in them which could have had life threatening consequences for anyone unfortunate enough to purchase them.
Andy Wright, principal trading standards officer, said: “The fact that this case was heard by the Crown Court and the judge has indicated he is considering a custodial sentence shows just how serious this is.
“Many of the tyres had serious defects and exhibited accident damage which undermined the basic structure of the tyres. This could have had life-threatening consequences for innocent consumers and their families.
“Unfortunately we don’t have the power to stop the company from trading, but we have been investigating any fresh offences that may have been committed. This includes further covert test purchases from Moss Tyres while waiting for this case to be heard.
“I am extremely concerned by the reckless attitude to customer safety that seems to be shown by McKenzie. I would urge members of the public to go to a reputable supplier instead. If you have bought tyres from MOSS, please get your car checked at your nearest garage.”
Luke McKenzie has been charged with one count of supplying, and 16 counts of possession for supply of unsafe part-worn tyres contrary to the General Product Safety Regulations.
He pleaded not guilty, however following trial the jury found him guilty on all counts. McKenzie was released on conditional bail pending sentencing on April 7, 2015 at Lincoln Crown Court.
The maximum sentence for each of the possession offences is 12 months imprisonment and/or a £20,000 fine.