A Grantham teenager has been selected to swim for Great Britain in Russia during the spring.

Walton Girls’ High School student Leah Roughan is one of just four chosen to swim in the under-16 breaststroke at the international meeting at Moscow in April.

Fifteen-year-old Leah is a former Grantham Swimming Club star, but now trains and competes for the City of Peterborough Club.

Her selection for the Russian competition came as something of a surprise as she was not on the GB Talent Programme last year.

However, she impressed so much in it in the previous year’s programme and has since built on her ability to now be ranked in the top four of the country.

GB selectors were clearly also impressed with her fifth spot in an international meeting open final in the spring of last year, which she followed up with a third place in the British Junior Championships.

Leah’s mother Meta, who takes her to training in Peterborough eight times a week, said all she knows so far, is that she will swim three races in Moscow, and possibly in relays also.

Meta said Leah was very excited about her GB selection.

Meta said: “She couldn’t believe it. It’s a big achievement for her. Her goal has always been to swim for Great Britain.”

Firefighters were called to a car blaze on Manthorpe Road, Grantham at 5.01pm today.

A crew from Grantham attended and extinguished the fire using one hose reel and two breathing apparatus.

Is anyone able to explain why, when you complain to SKDC about noise pollution you, the complainant, suddenly become responsible for providing ‘proof’ of that pollution?

I recently complained about the appalling daytime noise (hammering and other banging, loud diesel engines and other motors) – and night-time spotlights, which shine into mine and my neighbours’ houses – emanating from a premises on Alma Park’s Ruston Road. I found myself receiving a form to complete. Why should I have to do this? Why should we, the public, have to do the job of SKDC’s department? Would they come and do our jobs?

The premises of which I write are those of Global Recycling, in whose yard a lorry engine is being left to rev as I write. The strapline on the company’s website is, believe it or not, “Creating opportunities for a better environment”! I think that they need to (1) look up the word environmental; (2) show some consideration to others; and (3) look to their own laurels.

David Feld

Third Avenue, Grantham

An 85-year-old’s poem expressing her pride in Grantham is being published in an anthology to be sold nationwide.

Writing poetry has been a hobby of Londonthorpe resident Enid Hewitt ever since she was at school, and she estimates that around 30 of her poems have been published.

Yet Mrs Hewitt is particularly delighted that her ode to ‘Grantham Town’ will be included in United Press’ collection ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’.

Comprised of work by poets from across the country, invited to write with this title in mind, it will be available later this year in all good bookshops and libraries.

“There are many interesting things to write about Grantham, and how it has changed since WWII,” said Mrs Hewitt, who has kindly let us print her poem below.

Grantham Town in a valley lies with hills on every side,

A lofty steeple rising high can be seen from far and wide.

In former days a rural town with a large exquisite church,

And an inn with a living beehive sign, river banks with silver birch.

There’s a medieval hotel, the Angel it is called,

Where Kings and Queens, in centuries past,

Have stayed within its walls.

There’s the school where Isaac Newton went,

Force of gravity, he found,

Film stars and Prime Minister have lived on Grantham ground.

Through two world wars, devastating blitz when many lost lives,

The folk of Grantham soldiered on, survived the wars with pride.

The Bouncing Bomb was created here in St Vincent’s stately halls,

The river Witham flows through the parks enhanced with waterfalls.

It’s a busy industrial town right now with increased population,

With supermarkets, skate-board park and sports for recreation.

Police are reminding the public to secure their vehicles after thieves stole items from unlocked cars.

Two Castle Bytham residents had their cars entered ovenight between Thursday and Friday, when they were left unlocked parked on their driveways.

The gloveboxes were rifled and amongst the items stolen were CDs, a Satnav, and some house keys.

If you have any information about either theft, or saw anything suspicious, call 101 quoting incident numbers 124 and 74 of February 13.

Bottesford FC secured their place in the Leicestershire FA Saturday Trophy final after they defeated Leicester Three Lions 3-1 in last weekend’s semi-final.

In a keenly fought contest – played out on a heavy pitch – Three Lions gained the early initiative and Bottesford keeper Ben Loomes had to be on his toes to keep the scores level.

Slowly, Bottesford began to battle their way into the game, with Rob Lakin unlucky to see his header cleared off the line.

Bottesford broke the deadlock after the break when Luke Haxby forced home Lakin’s cut back.

The impressive Lakin then doubled the advantage when he robbed possession from the last man and coolly slotted home.

But Bottesford’s Leicester District League opponents rallied and kept the tie alive when a pinpoint finish reduced the deficit.

Bottesford had to dig deep as Lions pressed for an equaliser. A flurry of set-pieces saw Loomes produce more heroics, clawing a header away, and left back Joe Smith blocked a certain goal as he defended the back post from a corner.

Man-of-the-match Lakin sealed Bottesford’s place in the final when he poked home from a corner.

Bottesford manager Jon Allsopp was a quick to praise his players. He said: “The lads won the battle in difficult conditions and deserved to win the game.

“Our home record is good for a reason. We make teams work hard to score against us and have players that will always cause problems.

“We’ve only lost four home matches since 2012. I am immensely proud of the players.

“Bottesford is developing on all fronts and this young squad are a credit to the club.”

The final against league rivals Ravenstone FC will take place on Thursday, March 12, at Holmes Park.

I am chair of Grantham North Community Group and Greyfriars is one of two groups I represent.

Coun Mike Taylor was until recently the long-serving councillor for this ward. I have attended meetings here for at least 10 years and Mike, I am sure, has represented tenants here even longer.

He has attended my Greyfriars bi-monthly meetings whenever possible and has always given full support for me and council tenants. Also his sterling work over many years in the SKDC chamber has been without reproach.

When reading of the way he was recently de-selected, I was much reminded of Shakespeare’s tragic play, Julius Caesar.

Mike has been a titan of energy and commitment to all, even his recent health problem has not deterred him from his duty to those he represents.

Mike is not alone as Jean, his wife, is also a very active ward councillor, who has also been as conscientious in representing her tenants.

I wish them both well for the future and hope they carry on representing the good people of Grantham as they have done in the past.

Barrie Cox

Manners Street, Grantham

The British are often said to be obsessed by the weather.

We have regular weather bulletins on national and local television and radio stations, and programmes such as BBC Countryfile tell us what the weather will be for the week ahead.

National and local newspapers also report on the weather. Some ask for weather pictures to be sent to them, thus fuelling our collective obsession.

During the recent earthquake felt in Grantham, the social media pages were very active, with people asking others if they had felt the quake. Imagine how frightening it would have been to people a few hundred years ago, who often lived in isolated communities and were uneducated and superstitious. Imagine what it would have been like to be woken up in the middle of the night, in the pitch black, with a loud roar and your house shaking, and you did not know what had caused it.

In 1666, when Isaac Newton was staying with his uncle in Boothby Pagnell and with his mother in Woolsthorpe, it was reported that the worst whirlwind and earthquake in living memory hit Lincolnshire. Out of 80 stone houses in Welbourn only three were left standing, timber was dispersed over a wide distance and three or four people were killed.

In Boothby, part of the church was blown down and many trees were torn up by the roots. At Denton, a fierce hail storm hit the village at about the same time. Hail stones up to three inches long fell, and some were said to be like darts, arrows and other odd shapes.

St Wulfram’s Church was struck by lightning at least twice in the 17th and 18th centuries, which caused the steeple to collapse on at least one occasion.

There was also widespread flooding in the town on occasions. The Mowbeck, which was an open stream running along the site of the present Brook Street and into the Witham at what is now the white bridge, often burst its banks. In July 1855, the Mowbeck was at last partially culverted in the worst parts, as a result of pressure from Little Gonerby ratepayers who worked in Grantham’s industries.

Nevertheless the Grantham Journal reported on July 21, 1855: “It is impossible for the Thames to be in a more filthy state than the Mowbeck at its terminus. Filthy drainage and other impurities are allowed to accumulate within a yard or two of one of the principal promenades of the neighbourhood of Grantham. On a hot Sunday, when the breeze has proceeded from a North-Easterly direction, the existence of the nuisance has been perceived even before reaching the British School.”

There was also, adjoining the Mowbeck, a foul hog-sty underneath the straw of which hundreds of gallons of liquid manure had been exposed to view. In Little Gonerby, the emptying of a cess-pool was allowed between 6am and 10am. The previous year there had been an outbreak of Asiatic Cholera nearby. The Journal’s editor wrote: “Verily, God made the country, but man made the town and the pig-sties. Who are responsible for these things? Are the men in office alive to their duty? When will an Inspector of Nuisances be appointed?”

We should be thankful that we are now better informed and educated and that sanitation is much improved, but the British obsession with the weather remains.

I watched the BBC News on Friday and simply had to laugh at the fact that Larkfleet Homes had objected to the new bypass on “environmental” grounds.

Now, this comes from a company that has over the last few years, made several attempts to plonk millions of tons of bricks and concrete on to the countryside around Grantham in the form of new housing.

Recently, Grantham residents will have noticed traffic monitoring devices all over town and the outer areas. These are placed there to accumulate data to indicate traffic flow and build a case to demonstrate that Grantham can accommodate more houses and subsequent traffic.

Interestingly, 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 almost at the very 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. The data provided by these machines is utterly useless, unless of course you want to add the traffic count listed at these specific locations into the “average” traffic count to bring the numbers over the whole down to a level which might indeed assist your case. A more obvious attempt at data manipulation I think would be hard to find.

Interestingly, Rosedale Drive is listed as a secondary access route to the latest proposed development by Larkfleet; wow, what a coincidence.

In addition to this, I received a letter late last year in which Mr Mann, associated planning director at Larkfleet, is quoted: “We believe that the revised scheme will provide much needed housing for Grantham and will help foster economic growth and enhance the well-being of the town. We are strong champions of Grantham’s potential and hosted two workshops last year exploring how this growth can be achieved in the best interests of the local people”. He honestly must think we were all born last night!

For workshops, read sales pitch and ego stroking exercise.

Larkfleet has no interest in the “well-being” of Grantham, never has, never will. The proposed development is a commercial venture, nothing more. Like all developers, they acquire land as cheaply as possible, build as many properties on it as they can legally get away with, and leave. They have no interest in whether the road system and town can sustain the traffic and population increase or the severe additional demands in the environment, something it seems they suddenly care about.

At present, it’s clear to even the most blinkered resident, that Grantham is just about full, especially beyond and to the north of Manthorpe. Monday through Saturday, Manthorpe Road is a log jam in the mornings.

I understand that new homes need to be built; Larkfleet have been made aware of several brownfield sites in and around Grantham, no news there I see.

It’s just the idiotic combination of blowing smoke up the council and residents’ bottoms and obvious data manipulation to make a case for building where no case exists, that I find insulting.

S. Cole

By email

Am I truthfully led to believe that our beloved district council decided not to increase our council tax after a survey of 107 people, of which 55 replied that they did not want an increase in the council tax.

If I believe this, I would be concerned for our district council as it is saying that it would make any decision on the majority of three, as 52 voted for an increase in the council tax. I hope that this does not mean a decrease in services by the council, as it takes long enough now to get anything done.

Why not cut back on the bill of over £606,000 so far this financial year on agency staff.

Also, it was interesting to read that council tenant rents are going up by 3.65 per cent in line with government guidelines (no survey done on this increase). Wasn’t it really the same reason that the council decided not to put the council tax up, as it is a Conservative-led council and it is their policy not to increase council tax.

David Fowler

Address supplied

Pete Nevitt, better known to most as ‘Pete the plumber’ says he has never missed a day of work since starting in the trade as soon as he left school at 15 years old, and continues now aged 74.

He did his apprenticeship with Fosters Builders, and as well as working on building sites and coming to the aid of homeowners, he was also employed by the old borough council to fix burst water pipes during particularly harsh winters.

However, for 40 years he has worked independently, supported by his wife Lesley who helps out with the book-keeping, and has relied solely on recommendations between customers. These include caricaturist Terry Shelbourne, who has also noticed that Pete works up an appetite while working.

It is clear just from talking to Pete that he loves his job, and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Outside of work, he is a life-long fan of Manchester United, having been born in the city, and takes trips up to see his team play at Old Trafford when he can.

It was in 1952 that he and his parents moved to the area, settling in Ropsley. Just as eager to get involved in local sports close to his new home, Pete played for the village’s football squad and also became a member of the darts team at the Green Man pub.

Never limiting himself to one team though, he has also been on the football pitch for Ingoldsby, and thrown darts with Grantham Railway Club.

He and his wife now live in Grantham itself, as do their two daughters Paula and Emma, and three grandsons. Having the family within such a close proximity means that even though Pete is dedicated to his work, he is still able to spend a lot of time with those who matter most.

Bottesford dog owners have started a campaign to tackle fouling in the village, and are using innovative methods to encourage others to pick up after their pooches.

Dismayed at the growing amount of dog poo left on the village’s footpaths and grass verges, in particular around Bottesford Primary School on Barkestone Lane, by the church, railway station, and on the High Street, residents Helen Duffy and Kerri Ward have decided to create an action group.

Having two dogs herself and the owner of a sitting and walking service, Miss Duffy is well placed to come up with practical solutions to the problem, as is fellow dog owner Mrs Ward, who is one of many parents unhappy at the amount of dog waste left where children walk to and from Bottesford Primary School.

Along Barkestone Lane doggy deposits are even to be found directly in front of a dedicated bin, bag dispenser and numerous signs, and, as such, the school is getting involved and holding information sessions with the Dogs Trust.

The Trust is in regular contact with the campaigners, as are Melton Borough Council. On Thursday Miss Duffy was joined by environmental health technician Kirsty Dolan in spraying ‘no fouling’ stencils on the pavements in hotspot areas. Ms Dolan explained: “The stencils aim to remind dog owners and carers that it is their responsibility to clean up after a dog they are in charge of. Those who fail to do so face a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50 and prosecution which can result in a fine of up to £1000.”

However the campaign group are keen to emphasize it is about the village coming together to solve the issue, not about pointing fingers.

“It is not a witch-hunt,” said Miss Duffy. “We want to find positive and proactive ways to keep our beautiful village clean for everybody.”

The group’s dedication to keeping Bottesford clean is matched by their inventiveness, such as placing flagged cocktail sticks to highlight both the extent and location of dog mess, along with an idea to create ‘dog poo telephone trees’ for the disabled who may struggle to pick up after their pets to contact volunteers.

The campaign group are also supplying local businesses with dog poo bags, and putting up posters with advice from the national Keep Britain Tidy initiative.

Residents who want to get involved in the campaign are invited to come with their suggestions to the next group meeting at the Red Lion pub on March 9 at 8pm. Free dog poo bags are also available at the village’s Spar, Co-op, library and at The Bull Inn and Rutland Arms. You can also get in contact with Helen Duffy by calling 07551 677288

Following a trip to Nottingham where local Labour Party members took part in a forum with Andy Burnham MP (Labour’s shadow spokesman for health) to review how to improve health and social care, Labour’s 10-year plan for health has now been launched.

Despite promises made by David Cameron that there would be no cuts to frontline services or big re-organisations in the NHS, we now have fewer nurses and GPs, 1.25 million people wait longer than four hours to be treated in A&E, one in four people have to wait more than a week to see a GP, or cannot see a GP at all, and, 300,000 fewer older people are receiving social care than in 2009/10.

The current Government introduced the Health & Social Care Act 2012 which removed responsibility for our NHS from the secretary of state. It also introduced competition laws that put private patient rights above those of NHS patients, encouraged hospitals to offer private services and introduced a tendering process that has created unnecessary competition, more bureaucracy and management.

Andy Burnham argues that our NHS needs stability and security. Labour will restore democratic accountability for the NHS.

Labour will also invest in 20,000 more nurses, 8,000 more GPs, 3,000 more midwives and start to build new NHS care homes.

GPs’ appointments within 48 hours, or emergency appointments if needed will be guaranteed. Labour will introduce integrated health and social care services tailored at a local level, invest in mental health care, remove the bedroom tax affecting family carers and aim to make cancer survival rates for the people of our country the best in the EU. The full report is available online http://www.yourbritain.org.uk/uploads/editor/files/Labour_Ten_Year_NHS_Plan.pdf

As a result of concerns by the public at the deterioration of our NHS services, 38 Degrees are organising a series of protests nationally. They have an online petition calling for all candidates standing for Parliament nationally to defend our NHS and oppose privatisation. Local Labour members have voted to support the 38 Degrees campaign.

The 38 Degrees petition is available on: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-nhs-petitions.

Details of further action to take place on February 28 locally will be provided shortly.

In the meanwhile it’s good to see that the Conservatives in SKDC have finally accepted the idea put forward three years ago by the Labour Group that a community fund should be provided to support our very important local volunteers and the work they do.

Considering Grantham can find over £600,000 for its spire renovation, how about a bridge update fund?

All Harlaxton Road needs is a few concrete beams to replace the arch. Springfield Road needs the track lifting by a couple of feet and some fresh beams placing correspondingly higher. The cost will be about the same as a couple of church spires, followed by 20 years of no bills for bridge repairs.

I am only guessing, but the government can find millions for inquiries into social services going back years and achieving nothing, whereas this is something that will improve Grantham for its future.

We are supposed to be getting high speed rail at the cost of billions of pounds. Our little problem could be solved with £1-2 million.

While the Springfield Road bridge work is done, one could let the shopkeepers there have an empty shop in the town at a reduced rate.

Perhaps Mr Boles would like to comment?

Steven Gray

By email

The Conservative party has lost two members who for years were amongst the most loyal it had in this area.

Mike and Jean Taylor were always there on recruitng drives in Westgate, whatever the weather. They would also go to other areas to help with canvassing.

For Mike to be refused to stand in the ward he had represented for 16 years was unfair and unjust. I do not usually subscribe to conspiracy theories but I feel there is a cabal in the party that decided to get rid of Mike and Jean and they have achieved their aim – shame on them.

Although I do not support UKIP in any way, I wish Mike and Jean well in the forthcoming election.

Mrs M. Cook

Dudley Road, Grantham

Bottesford FC is appealing to girls from the area to join their thriving junior football section – to allow it to develop girls’ football further next season.

The club has developed a thriving girls section over the last few years, and have joined the Leicestershire City and County Sunday League this year in the under-10 age group. Girls from all primary school age groups are welcome to join training which takes place each Sunday morning, as well as the league games, and the past years have seen a wide range,of girls, from Year 1 to Year 6, take part in training and regular friendly matches.

In advance of next season, the girls section are now looking to bring in more players of all ages, particularly focusing on current Year 3-5 age groups. The club have plans to enter different age groups next season, so supplementing the players already signed to the club in advance of next season is important to the club’s plans.

Players of all standards are encouraged to join. If you might be interested in finding out more about Bottesford FC Girls, get in touch with Matt Burton on 07540935478 or Steve Ryan on 07809493835, or alternatively email news@bottesfordfc.co.uk

What an appalling mess the National Health Service has got itself into under the austerity-obsessed coalition government.

Forget constant carping about Labour’s overspending on vital necessities for the nation’s well-being and focus instead on the billions of pounds wasted on the present regime’s ideological nightmare reorganisation of the NHS in their first few years in power.

Measures which have resulted in long-suffering patients having to travel arduous miles in all directions for both simple and more complicated treatments they could have had at Grantham. Mainly because of crackpot decisions made by the newly-created and totally unnecessary in my opinion clinical commissioning clowns in their misguided wisdom. Then to be told that Jeremy Hunt’s damage limitation exercise was proof that the flawed strategy was a success. What planet does our so-called health supremo come from?

More recently the complete farce of discovering that we had all been given a near useless flu jab this year. Not so funny when you have suffered dangerously as I did with the alleged mutated virus.

I found this out long before it was revealed officially, as two of my friends’ mothers were told as much by staff at the hospitals they ended up in with a resultant dose each of pneumonia.

So why didn’t the ever vigilant national media tell us all about it sooner, so that we would at least have known why we were so ill?

Was it an attempted cover-up? Did they hope the real cause would slip by unnoticed? Eventually we were told that it was discovered, but too late to do anything about it.

But was it too late because the process physically took too long to repeat or because it would have cost too much more of our lovely money, which they choose to give to what we would regard as less deserving causes?

Swingbridge Road was closed this morning due to a lorry fire.

Police were on the scene after being called to the incident at 8.55am, and intially reported that the engine of the lorry from a firm in Newark was on fire.

However Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue later confirmed that it was caused by a fault in the exhaust. Firefighters were called out at 8.57am and used one hose reel to extinguish.

The road was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident, but it has now been re-opened.

This wonderful shot was captured by Ben Moorcroft.

Ben was standing on the platform at Grantham Railway Station to capture just a few seconds of the S.R. Battle of Britain class 34067 ‘Tangmere’ as it passed through Grantham on Valentine’s Day.

He said: “Some proper, family-friendly, steamy fun on Valentine’s Day.”

{https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLB1T1ZINuo&feature=youtu.be|Watch video footage of the train passing through Grantham.}

Northern Premier League

Premier Division

Ashton United 2

Grantham Town 0

Grantham Town’s hopes of improving on the goalless draw in the two sides’ first meeting of the season at The Meres were dashed by goals either side of half time in the return game at Hurst Cross.

The home side should have gone in front in the 34th minute after Liam Kay brought down Dale Johnson in the 18-yard box. Referee Mr Woods pointed to the spot but Gary Gee’s poorly struck penalty presented Town keeper Jake Turner with an easy save.

Both sides had opportunities to take the lead, with Kevin Leadbetter blazing over from a Martin Pilkington ball for the home side, and Danny Meadows doing the same from a free kick for the Gingerbreads at the other end shortly after.

United’s Johnson had a shot deflected over and Sam Wilson headed wide from the resulting corner kick.

Grantham finally conceded on the stroke of half time when Wilson tapped in past Turner from a Leadbetter corner kick.

Town found themselves under the cosh immediately after the break, with Ashley Young and Kayde Coppin both having opportunities to extend the Robins’ advantage.

The home side doubled their lead in the 51st minute with Pilkington heading in from a Johnson cross.

Grantham keeper Turner saved another Pilkington effort minutes later, but his team-mates did not offer much up front to threaten the Ashton defence.

Turner was brought into action again to deny Coppin in the 77th minute, and the United number 11 had another good opportunity to seal the game minutes later, but he curled the ball wide of the target.

Grantham Town: Turner, Purcicoe, Rawden (Fyfe, 80), Kay, Hellewell, Miveld, Meadows, Lewis (Johnson, 15), Read, Hurst (Bilyk, 76), Emmott. Subs not used: Wholey, Divver. Att: 143.