Firefighters attended an oven fire at an address in Grantham yesterday.

The crew was called out at 8.08pm to College Street. The fire was out on arrival.

It was caused by a build-up of fat in the oven.

Help the Journal once again in supporting the annual Rotary Shoebox Appeal as we mark the 10th anniversary of helping to spread a little happiness.

In years gone by, the appeal has been associated with giving a child a gift at Christmas.

But over the 10 years our newspaper company, Johnston Press, has supported this scheme, it has become so much more.

It is not only a thoughtful Christmas gift, but a gift that keeps on giving the whole year. So this year, instead of wrapping the box in Christmas wrapping paper, leaving a child wondering why it’s like this in May, either leave the box blank or decorate it with a beautiful picture to make the receiver smile.

Such a box can be given to a baby, a small child, a teenager or even the elderly.

Your box, with the help of a £2 donation left on the top for travel costs, then wings its way across to children and families in Eastern Europe.

This small gift helps to provide them with a sense of comfort and boosts their morale when things look to be at their worst.

Whether it be for a man or woman, boy or girl, fill your box with everyday items that we might take for granted, such as small toys, pens and paper or a toothbrush and toothpaste.

A small gift like this really does go a long way.

** All the info you need to take part in the scheme:

If you would like to take part in the Rotary Shoebox Appeal, pop into our office in St Peter’s House, St Peter’s Hill, between 10am and noon on any Monday and Friday until the final collection date – November 11 – to pick up a box.

Boxes can also be collected from and returned to Grantham Tennis Club, Gonerby Road, Gonerby Hill Foot, at any time.

Remember, you can fill your shoebox with items to suit a baby, young boy or girl, a teenager or the elderly.

Rotary are particularly in need of boxes for the elderly and teenage boys.

So what can you put into the boxes? Examples include toys, balls, jigsaw puzzles, play dough, dolls, stickers and building blocks. Or why not put in a comb, mirror, make-up, stationery, wrapped soap or even shampoo?

Rotary will then send off the gifts to establishments such as hospitals, children’s homes, schools, community centres and long-term refugee camps. For many, it will be the first present that they have ever received and it lets them know that somebody cares. A card or letter to let the person know where the box has come from is also a nice addition.

Since Rotary began this appeal, over a million boxes have been handed out.

To find out more, and what other items can go in the boxes, visit www.rotaryshoebox.org

The latest cohort of 32 nurses have begun working on the wards at Grantham and Boston hospitals – and we have been along to meet a couple of the fresh faces who will be treating patients here in Grantham.

The new arrivals are part of a 100-nurse recruitment to join the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT), with the other 68 heading to the wards at Lincoln.

Of the 32, 22 will begin working at Boston Pilgrim and the other 10 will head to Grantham.

Di Bradley, clinical education nurse, praised the recruits as ‘enthusiastic’ and said: “The group dynamics are great and they have all made fantastic progress.”

The new staff have now undertaken a period of induction into the trust and will continue to recieve training from their peers as they settle into their roles. As well as their training, many of the nurses have already done placements on wards or in healthcare services across the county.

A spokesman for ULHT said that to get 100 nurses into the trust was ‘big news’, especially as prior to their joining there were 300 vacancies.

** Lorraine Coates said she had always known she had wanted to work for ULHT right from the beginning and felt she could now make her sister proud.

She praised the training she had received and said she had made lots of lifelong friends.

She had applied for her job directly, rather than through the NHS’s ‘generic’ jobs process – where staff can apply for work and be told this is where to go.

She said the trust was ‘friendly’.

Lorraine, who aims to treat people with heart problems, described how she had been versed in hospitals from a very young age.

“My sister was very poorly and we were in and out of hospital from quite a young age.

“I thought I’d like doing nursing when they used to do bed corners – and I know how to do a good bed corner,” she joked.

During her life, Lorraine’s sister had to have two kidney transplants, but sadly died nine years ago due to complications.

Lorraine said: “I thought, ‘I can do this now’. I had my family all grown up and I thought I’m going to go to college, do my exams and make her proud.”

** Katy Wilks said she had been spurred on to complete her training to make her daughter proud.

She said she had chosen ULHT to be part of a trust which only a few years ago had received bad reports from the Care Quality Commission but which had upped its game.

Katy, who would like to work in palliative care, said: “To see the changes and the boost in staff morale, to see it from when I first started and where we are now, is brilliant.”

She said that when she left school, she did not really know what she wanted to do.

“I wanted to work with older people when I was little, I got a job at a hospice as admin but I thought I don’t want to be doing this I want to be doing what they’re [the nurses] are doing.”

Katy then had a daughter and when she returned to employment she worked at Asda.

“People were telling my daughter I wouldn’t amount to anything because of where I worked, so I went for it.

“I want to show her you can do something even if it was later in life – you just need to set your mind to it.”

Fly-tippers have dumped a load of rubbish in a beautiful rural area near Welby.

This photo was sent in by Guy de la Bedoyere, of Main Street, Welby, who called it “a particularly brazen example of flytipping on farmland” not far from the High Dyke.

He added: “Some irremediable cur has driven all the way into the field and dumped a whole pile of timber plus several car tyres.

“Given that the farmers are usually in the fields into the evening at the moment, it’s even more remarkable because it’s easily visible from some distance.”

Anyone who recognises the items dumped is asked to call South Kesteven Ditrict Council on 01476 406080.

Eighteen Belton Park seniors travelled to Hollins Hall at Shipley for a weekend of golf on what proved to be an excellent and interesting course, but with more changes in elevation than expected.

With the majority of the party choosing to walk the course on the first day and with glorious sunshine, unsurprisingly there was a clamour for buggies on the second day.

The team format for both days was a Texas Scramble, with the team of Keith Brown, Mike Bower and Graham Secker winning on the first day with a score of 46 points. The second day’s competition was won by Mike Collins, John McNally and Nigel Beaumont with a score of 44.

l Belton Park seniors welcomed the team from Milton Golf Club for the return match on what proved to be a very moist day with drizzle in the air for most of the match.

The match was played over the Brownlow Course and, although damp, was in magnificent condition again thanks to the greenkeepers.

After a very tight match at Milton earlier in the year, the home game was an emphatic 6-2 victory for Belton. Winning pairs on the day were Alan Addis and Keith Brown, Paul Skelton and George Crowford, Steve White and Nigel Beaumont, Bill Brogan and John McNally, Mike Collins and Dave Dobney, and Graham Secker and John Carey.

STOKE ROCHFORD

Seniors

Longcliffe 5

Stoke Rochford 3

Stoke Rochford seniors, having played their first match in 1986, reached a landmark 900th match when they made the bi-annual trip to Longcliffe where they experienced another away loss on a wet and miserable day.

However, the course was in excellent condition, although playing very long, and the opposition provided outstanding hospitality in the clubhouse after the match. Don Werner won the competition for nearest the pin.

Results: Graham Manton and Don Werner lost 2&1, Jim Price and Chris Woof lost 4&3, John Batty and Adrian Stannard won 2&1, Barry Coop and Mike Nixon lost 3&1, Greg Ewart and Mike Dickinson halved,

Eddie Plant and Ken Taylor halved, Phil White and Brian Keightley won 1 up, Trevor Harvey and Mick Rance lost 2&1.

Greg Ewart beat off very close opposition to win this year’s Seniors Autumn Cup. Drawn together in the same group as John Booth and Phil Hewes, all three players achieved the top score of the day – 38 points.

It required a countback to the last three holes to determine the winner, with John Booth second and Phil Hewes third. Greg’s score was helped considerably by four points on the 10th and another four on the 17th with monster putts.

Two Phil’s – White and Hughes, became Stoke seniors’ Pairs Knockout champions by winning 2&1 in the final against two Mike’s – Nixon and Graves.

Brian White’s aggregate of 115 points for his best three rounds of six made him the winner of this year’s Stoke Rochford Seniors Trophy Competition.

Seniors captain Graham Manton provided a last minute challenge with a final day score of 41, securing a valiant second place with 113 points, and last year’s winner Barry Mitchell finished third with a solid 112. Best score of the final round was vice-captain Jim Price’s 42 points.

A total of 66 players participated in this competition which remains a firm favourite within the Senior Section.

SUDBROOK MOOR

The Senior Matchplay League season concluded its 23rd year with a social presentation celebration at Rutland County Golf Club.

Seventy-two senior golfers converged from the five member clubs – Gedney Hill, Lincoln’s Pottergate, Boston’s Kirton Holme, RAF Coningsby and Sudbrook Moor, to enjoy a convivial pairs’ Betterball Stableford in which a mix of the clubs were drawn into pairs and card-marking fours.

Blessed with dry autumn weather, the day produced excellent top scores. A scorecard of 47 stableford points was returned by Pete Orbine of Gedney Hill with RAF Coningsby’s Keith Cable. John Curtis of RAF Coningsby and Rob Newns of Gedney Hill amassed 46 points for second place. Sudbrook Moor’s John Chatburn with Merv Davis of Gedney Hill were third on 45.

Sudbrook Moor finished third with 402 stableford points in the Best Team of the Day

Captain Graham Mackinder’s squad from Sudbrook Moor were runners-up in the season-long inter-club Matchplay Championship

More than 130,000 illicit cigarettes as well as large quantities of alcohol have been seized in a series of raids across Lincolnshire – including Grantham – by HM Customs and Excise.

The raids, carried out with support from Lincolnshire Trading Standards and Lincolnshire Police, took place in Grantham, Lincoln, Spalding and Boston on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Six tobacco dogs and their handlers helped officers uncover cigarettes hidden in various parts of the and self storage units.

In total, 36 premises were targeted with suspected illegal tobacco and alcohol products seized during 20 of the raids.

In Grantham, 5,820 cigarettes, six kilos of hand-rolling tobacco, 3,482 litres of beer and six litres of spirits were recovered, with an estimated £6,612 duty and VAT evaded.

But by far the biggest haul was at Lincoln, where officers seized 87,740 cigarettes (estimated £28,165 duty and VAT evaded), 23 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco (estimated £5,612 duty and VAT evaded), and 16.25 litres of spirits and wine (estimated £83 duty and VAT evaded), as well as one vehicle.

The Spalding raids too produced an enormous quantity of illict goods - 36,260 cigarettes (estimated £11,639 duty and VAT evaded), 1.4kg kilos of hand-rolling tobacco (estimated £342 duty and VAT evaded) and 12.6 litres of spirits (estimated £162 duty and VAT evaded), plus two vehicles.

Meanwhile, in Boston, 400 cigarettes (estimated £128 duty and VAT evaded), 11.8kg of shisha tobacco (estimated £1,127 duty and VAT evaded) and 67 bottles of spirits (estimated £644 duty and VAT evaded) were seized by officers.

Stuart Taylor, assistant director for the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco and alcohol will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2 billion a year, and the sale of illicit alcohol which costs the UK around £1 billion per year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

“Tax fraud is not acceptable and we will tackle it head on. We are levelling the playing field for legitimate local businesses who cannot compete with their criminal competitors.

“We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000.”

Andy Wright, principal trading standards officer at Lincolnshire County Council, added: “This is a clear example of partnership work at its very best. The result is a credit to the combined efforts of all the agencies involved who understand the impact that such illegal activity can have on the local community.

“This seizure sends a clear message that we will not tolerate the import or sale of counterfeit and illicit products in our county.”

Arion Grantham & District Sunday League

Division One

Totemic 2

Ancaster 2

A second visit by Ancaster FC in as many league games for Totemic, as they looked for two wins out of two for a solid start to the season.

The game started promisingly for Totemic who bombarded the Ancaster goal with several corners early on.

A dominant man of the match performance by Gavyn Shearer ensured Ancaster couldn’t get any time on the ball in midfield, and some slick one touch passing by Totemic meant their keeper had very little to do in the first half.

Totemic took a deserved lead before the break when Frank Brown received the ball to his feet in the box and hooked it into the right hand corner of the net.

The second half saw Ancaster grow into the game and equalise after a long ball found a neat finish.

Totemic, fresh from a tough cup defeat to Ropsley the previous week which left many knocks and injuries, found it difficult to match their second half energy; this allowed Ancaster to take the lead after a goalmouth scramble.

A tactical change of formation saw Totemic push hard for the equaliser which came from captain Tom Parrish via a slight deflection.

Certainly a game of two halves, with both teams battling hard for a point apiece at the final whistle.

Totemic: Giddens, Cotton, Chadwick, Adamson, Walton, Whiting, Shearer, Parrish, Brown, Marshall, Blow.

The Grantham Canal Society is hosting its Discovery Day next week with plenty going on for all the family.

Taking place at Carpenter’s Shop Canal Depot in Woolsthorpe by Belvoir, the FREE event will feature plenty of family entertainment, including the popular ‘Dirty Duck Race’.

The Discovery Day takes place on Sunday, October 9 (not October 2 as previously published in the Journal).

The event will be officially opened by Nick Boles MP for Grantham and Stamford, with your Mistress of Ceremonies, local radio presenter Suzie Sparkles.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Rovin Ron, ‘the people’s singer’ who will perform classics from the 50s, 60s and 70s. And for those who fancy a dance, Allington Morris will be performing on the day, along with the Maids of Clifton to help get you in the mood for a jig.

Take a trip along the river on the narrow boat or go on a guided tour of the lock (with a free shuttle service to the lock site).

There will also be plenty of groups and charities in attendance on the day, including the RSPB, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Hedgehog Welfare, Lincolnshire Bat Group, Raptor Rescue and Vale of Belvoir Barn Owl Conservation Group.

Have a go at bricklaying with Waterway Recovery or try your hand at pole lathe turning with The Wobbly Bodger.

Other attractions include a working World War One Field Kitchen, plenty of family activities for all ages, the Discovery Day raffle, and the Sizzling Sausages barbecue!

Button Alley will also be there on the day with their button crafts and fairy gardens. Along with Peacock Farm who will be selling cold pressed rapeseed oil and honey, and Ray Banks Stick Maker - never venture out without one.

Sustrans will be offering advice about cycling routes in this area and beyond, whilst Towpath Talk – the UK’s ‘number one read’ for all waterway users, will be giving out free issues to visitors of the event.

Sleaford Navigation Trust will also be on site – find out how they’re getting on with their waterway restoration. You can also find out how the Melton and Oakham Waterways Society is progressing with its restoration project and how the restoration of the last trent barge - The Leicester Trader, is coming along.

With so much to see and do, don’t miss out on this great community event.

To find our more information you can visit the website at www.granthamcanal.org/ or follow the group on Facebook or Twitter.

Four months after taking office as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Lincolnshire, Coun Marc Jones has produced his first vision of policing across the county.

Far-reaching, wide-ranging and even ground-breaking, The Community Safety, Policing and Criminal Justice Plan for Lincolnshire seeks to give every person who lives and works in the county a direct stake in keeping it as “a low crime area”.

With nine years of experience in local government to draw, most recently as executive member for finance and property at Lincolnshire County Council, the Commissioner is suitably equipped to try to draw the vast strands of criminal justice in the county together.

Coun Jones said: “If you think in terms of local democracy, the PCC is the only person in the county who has a remit from all seven parliamentary constituencies.

“But it’s not just about 
policing, it’s about bringing 
together all the services in the county to see how we can 
deliver community safety and policing all together.

“The PCC is a key player in making that happen and the document itself has primacy in the county so that other organisations in Lincolnshire have to take it into account.”

Coun Jones has christened his blueprint as the ‘Safer Together Plan’, with its overall concentration on tackling “conventional crime” such as theft, burglary and assault, while also putting measures in place to deal with child sexual abuse, human trafficking, organised and cyber crime.

“No force is fully equipped to deal with cyber crime because we don’t know how big it’s going to get,” Coun Jones said.

“What we do know is that you can’t enforce yourself out of these crimes but it’s about educating other people about such crimes.

“We are part of a collaborative group, the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, and directly linked to the National Cyber Crime Unit so we’re very well placed to deal with 
it.

“But I’m very keen on prevention as well, finding new ways of reaching into people’s homes to protect children and vulnerable adults online.”

One advantage Coun Jones has over his predecessor, former TV presenter Alan Hardwick, is the benefit of hindsight having come into office almost five years after PCCs became statutory under The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.

A test of such hindsight will come when the Commissioner and Chief Constable have to argue for an extra slice of the policing budget cake from new Policing Minister Brandon Lewis to plug and estimated £6 million hole facing Lincolnshire Police in three years’ time.

Coun Jones said: “It’s a very brave thing to be the first one in anything and back in 2012, did anyone have a clear idea of what the role would be?

“The second cohort of PCCS have the benefit of doing some real learning, based on the experiences of the first group.

“The previous Commissioner (Alan Hardwick) made a decision to put into the budget a presumption that the Government would give us £4.4 million in 2017/18, £5.7 million the following year and £6 million the year after that.

“I don’t know if that’s going to happen yet and we’re filling a hole of £2.5 million in our policing budget from our reserves this year.

“It was an assumption that was made and we have to deal with the reality of that.”

“Can we bring in new technology which means we can do things in a different way and by jointly working with other partners, can we get the money to deliver these services?”

Another job of replacement faces the Commissioner after confirmation earlier this month that Mr Rhodes is to retire as Chief Constable in February 2017 after 31 years in the police service.

But in making it clear that Mr Rhodes’ decision was his own, Coun Jones said: “Neil Rhodes is an exceptional Chief Constable and there was no ‘pushing him out’ involved.

“Most police officers do 30 years and Neil has done 31 years.

“I’ve known for quite some time that Neil intended to leave his post early next year and I know, under new rules, that I can appoint a successor from four countries outside the UK – the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

“There are brilliantly talented people out there, but why should I say no to someone from another country?”

• The Community Safety, Policing and Criminal Justice Plan for Lincolnshire has been dubbed the ‘Safer Together Plan’ by Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire, Coun Marc Jones,

An extract from the plan said: “Lincolnshire is a low crime area and we need to work to keep it that way.

“Conventional crimes of theft, burglary and assault, though reducing overall, will not go away and the scourge of anti-social behaviour continues to blight some communities.

“Crime is changing as growing threats like child sexual abuse, modern day trafficking, organised crime, online fraud and other computer-enabled crimes are reaching into our homes and communities, posing new types of risk to us and our families.

“The changing face of crime means that we must respond in new ways and while neighbourhood policing must remain at the heart of our response, we must ensure that it expands to protect us from new threats wherever they originate from.”

Further to the letter in the Journal last week concerning refuse collection. May I through your paper request clarification from SKDC on the following points regarding green waste?

A family or pensioner on minimum wage or basic pension has a small garden with a lawn. They do not own a vehicle and obviously cannot afford a gardener, where do they dispose of grass cuttings and weeds?

lf as reported in the press, from April 2017 SKDC or CC will have insufficient funds to cut grass verges, so where will estate residents dispose of the grass cuttings from the verges at the front of their properties?

If as I suspect, the answer to these queries is to pay for a green bin, this will then increases their outgoings and like SKDC or LCC they will have insufficient funds for their basic needs.

I do realise it is imperative that we all recycle but if there is no facility to dispose of rubbish, that in the past would have been black bin waste, how are these scenarios to be dealt with?

These are real issues which concern people who are in Theresa May’s category of “Just Managing”. Please may we have your comments and a solution, which will hopefully not incur any further expense?

Name and address supplied,

Grantham

Grantham Running Club’s Chris Limmer ran the scenic Rutland Marathon at Rutland Water last weekend.

Encouraged by last year’s beatable winning time, Chris was aiming for a good finish position and approached the race confidently. Taking the lead for the first 18 miles, he failed to shake off the chasing pack before his lack of endurance training took its toll.

Chris said: “The first 13 are deceptively quick and the peninsular was tough, especially after 16 miles of running. I pushed on at this point but by the 18 mile water station I lost the lead and my race went downhill from there.”

Chris crossed the finish line in fifth with a time of 3hr 11min 55sec.

Members of Grantham Scouts Active Support Unit recently visited former District Chairman, Alan Morton, and his wife Dorothy, at their new home near Leicester to present Alan with the Chief Scout’s 60 years Service Award, in recognition of 60 years service to Scouting.

Current District Chairman Malcolm Hall, who was presented with his 50 years Service Award at the recent District AGM, said: “This is a remarkable level of service by Alan to Scouting. He started in the movement as a Cub in 1943, has been active at all levels ever since, both locally and nationally, and is most deserving of this recognition.

“On behalf of the Grantham District we thank Alan and Dorothy for all their help to this District and wish them well for the future.”

Alan’s wife, Dorothy, who has supported him in his Scouting activity since they first met, was surprised herself with the presentation of the 40 year Service Award.

Of the other District members who were present, Eileen Booth, Chris Pridmore and Geoff Bedenham have all been awarded 30 year certificates, making a remarkable service record of more than 240 years between the group.

A Billingborough nurse is calling on local protesters to join her in London to campaign with others from across the country to save their A&E departments.

Sarah Stock wants to hear from anybody interested in travelling to London on Monday, October 10, to join forces with 11 other counties which also face losing their A&Es.

Sarah underwent radical breast surgery less than six weeks ago after she was diagnosed with cancer.

She says she left the NHS in 1998 because she disagreed with what the Government was doing with the NHS.

She said: “I should have stayed and fought the system but I knew they wouldn’t listen and I chose to leave.

“I am proud to be a nurse and I continued nursing in the private sector.

“I was naive and I was wrong. I, along with other colleagues were too scared (and rightly so) of being ‘targeted’. That’s what we called it back in those days. And unfortunately, whistleblowers today are still being targeted and most dare not come forward. It is disgraceful that we have to fight for out A&E, but fight we will.

“I am taking our campaign to London via Downing Street and on to the Department of Health with our signed petitions to demand the reinstatement of our local A&E service. If anyone can join me on the protest in London, a week on Monday in red T-shirts with our banners held high, please let me know.”

If you would like to join Sarah call her on 01529 240509 or 07543 126769 or email sarahstock71@hot
mail.co.uk

Sarah would also like to hear from any bus companies who could give the protesters a favourable deal help in getting to London with passengers contributing to the petrol.

Barkston and Syston CC have won Grantham and Melton Association Division Three.

It was their first championship title since 1979, with the last silverware of any kind last going to club in 1985.

Winning last week meant the team went into the last game of the season already league winners, and triumphing on Sunday the club has not lost a league game since May 22.

Playing with a young team on most occasions, strike bowlers consisted of 17-year-old Danny Parker, who took 16 wickets, and 14-year-old Jacob Baker, ably assisted by 15-year-old James Walton, alongside veterans Dom Modd, Adam Jameson and Dave Modd. Darren Glover returned the best figures with an average of eight runs per wicket.

Veteran Paul Johnson, in his first season for the club, did a formidable job of opening batting each week, seeing off the opposition’s opening attack, on most occasions backed up by 17-year-old Mat Walton.

Eighteen-year-old Alex Hirst top scored with 344 runs with an average of 31, and not far behind was skipper Dom Modd with 313 runs and an average of 39. Next was 15-year-old batsman/wicket keeper Liam Parker who scored two half centuries, finishing with 290 runs and an average of 33.

This opening line was backed with some robust batting from Adey Johnson, Daz Glover and mister dependable, Dave Modd, who finished with an average of 92.

The most pleasing thing over the season was the amount of young players that came up from junior level and made such an impact, with a special mention going to Max Federson who took four wickets in his first senior game and newcomer Mat Whittle who had never been on a losing side.

A big thank you to the person who always gets forgotton – the tea lady Maxine Costall; the hotdogs spurred the whole team on.

Anyone wishing to play next season, junior or senior, should email nigel.d.parker@btinternet.com

A street name sign on a Grantham road has been restored to its former 19th century glory thanks to the efforts of the district council and Grantham Civic Society.

The cast iron sign, salvaged from the former Tanvic buildings on Wharf Road when they were demolished earlier this year, is one of the original signs installed in locations across the town in the 1800s.

The sign was salvaged before work began on the site and then cleaned and repainted by Gordon Beech, great-grandson of Isaac Beech, who had the contract with Grantham Borough Council in about 1880.

It was unveiled on Wednesday by SKDC’s executive member for environment Councillor Nick Craft and John Manterfield, secretary of Grantham Civic Society, above Kinnersley hairdressers.

Mr Beech, 78, a former painter and sign writer, of Gonerby Hill Foot, said he was pleased to be asked to paint the sign.

Coun Craft said: “We’re very much a council that looks to the future and where our towns and district can progress but where possible it’s always important to acknowledge the past.”

Mr Manterfield said: “We chose this site to reinstall the sign as there is little in this location to indicate which street you are entering from the bus station.

“We’re very pleased with the end product and thanks go to SKDC, Lincolnshire County Council highways department, John and Pauline Kinnersley and, of course, Gordon for restoring a lovely part of Grantham’s history.”

Permission for an existing motorcycle track next to the A52 at Ropsley is being sought from the district council.

Robert Hazelwood, of Crownhill Farm, Ropsley, wants retrospective planning permission for the track which has been operating for a number of years next to the Roman Cafe, on land which used to be a quarry.

A spokesman for JHG Planning Consultancy said: “The application site has been in use as an off-road motorcycling track for many years on an informal basis, however in the last two-and-a-half years it has been operational in its current form. The applicants were unaware that this small scale intensification of use would require planning permission. The site is open to the general public on a pay per use basis, between 10am and 4pm, seven days per week.”

On Sunday, a total of 32 Brownies and Guides from six local units took part in the first ever Grantham Girlguiding Golf Festival, held at Belton Woods.

The girls enjoyed seven skills challenges on the fabulous Academy Course, including chipping ‘over the river’ and ‘bunker bullseye’.

After refreshments, the young golfers played a few holes of golf from reduced distance tees specific to their age.

The festival was the culmination of a year long project supported by golf charity the Golf Foundation and ‘HSBC Golf Roots’, which saw Belton Woods teaching professional, Iain Fulton provide taster sessions for Brownies and Guides throughout the year, with the aim of giving girls the chance to get involved in golf and enjoy the benefits of the sport.

Iain said: “All the girls, some of whom were playing golf on a course for the first time, had a wonderful day and all left with smiley faces, a few prizes and golfing goodies.

“A big thank you goes to Pepi Halliday of Barkston Brownies who helped promote the event, all the leaders who supported the event along with Stacey Mitchell of the Golf Foundation, Ken Claxon, Belton Woods Junior Organiser, and all the other volunteers who made the day possible.”

The Golf Foundation’s national HSBC Golf Roots initiative is encouraging more and more boys and girls from different backgrounds and abilities to ‘Start, Learn and Stay’ in golf and learn valuable life skills from the game.

Funding was made available for this Grantham project as part of the Golf Foundation’s commitment in helping more girls to enjoy the benefits of the sport.

If you are interested in junior golf contact Iain at ifulton@qhotelsgolfacademies.co.uk or call 0800 242 5002.

The background to last week’s unsuccessful vote of no confidence in South Kesteven District Council Conservative leader, Bob Adams, is obviously in the public interest - hence the Journal’s efforts to glean more information from the local Conservative group.

Councillor Adams has not commented following the result in his favour, but some may think that it would initially be more incumbent upon those un-named councillors who raised the issue in the first place to identify themselves and justify their actions.

Interestingly the only comments to emerge so far are totally vague, e.g. “too many issues to go into at this stage” and they come from an anonymous “source”.

This may remind some readers of one of the classic quotations about “leaks” by Bernard from Yes Minister: “That’s another of those irregular verbs, isn’t it? I give confidential briefings; you leak; he has been charged under Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act.”

Unfortunately, because of the paucity of informative detail, the Journal’s “source” would not satisfy any of Bernard’s criteria.

Journal, you need a proper “mole” in the best John le Carre tradition. (Only joking)

Brian Bruce

Colsterworth

Teenager Lily Walker is celebrating after winning her class in the grand finale of the 2016 SEIB Arena Eventing series at Vale View Equestrian Centre in Leicestershire.

The 13-year-old KGGS student, from Melton Mowbray, fought off strong competition in the SEIB 90cm Novice class to take the top spot riding her own Ace Lightening.

Arena eventing is a fast growing sport and there is something for everyone in the series.

With sections for intro, pre-novice, novice and intermediate, the event appeals to riders of all levels.

The varied and undulating track built by renowned British Eventing course builder Angus Smales for the SEIB championship final included a tricky corner, steps, a brush and ditch combination and a water complex, almost all on an all-weather surface.

Lily and the 17-year-old grey gelding, jumped smoothly and confidently, taking each fence in their stride to get closest to the optimum time, winning the class and taking home the valuable £300 first prize.

“We got him in November 2015 and the qualifier was their first time doing Arena Eventing,” explained Tracy, Lily’s mother.

“A week before the championships they were invited to go to the Pony Club team Arena Eventing at Blenheim so that was a good warm-up.”

Lily has been a member of the Quorn Hunt Pony Club since the age of five and attends a lot of pony club and riding club events.

“It was great for Lily to get out and do something by herself. She really enjoyed it,” continued Tracy.

“[The prize money of] £300 is a lot of money for a 13-year-old.

“I asked her what she was going to do with it and she wants to buy some long riding boots, but I said she’ll grow out of them too quickly!”

The winner of each class secured a valuable £300 first prize as well as collecting an SEIB horse rug and other goodies.

Following on from becoming British U20 Duathlon champion in April of this year, local 17-year-old triathlete Seamus Sheard, from Sapperton, finished a highly creditable 17th in the 2016 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final held in Cozumel, Mexico last Sunday.

Competing for Team GB in the 18-19 age group, Seamus finished with a combined race time of 2hr 23min 56sec for the event which comprised of a 1,250m swim, 40km cycle and 10km run.

Speaking after the event, he said that whilst very pleased with his overall performance, the extreme heat had taken its toll and even many of the elite athletes had found the going difficult.

He wanted to thank all of his sponsors and Sleaford Tri3 Club and coaches for their support, without which he would not have been able to participate in the event.

And in return, Sleaford Tri sent their congratulations to Seamus. His club coach Nikki Fletcher commented: “Competition was fierce in his age group, as you would imagine at this level, and he has embraced all challenges of the race through hard work in training three disciplines around the demands of his A-level education. Seamus always promotes dedication and great sportsmanship – very well done.”