Mid Lincs U14 Youth League

Great Ponton 3

Birchwood Colts 2

Great Ponton started on the attack from the kick-off.

Despite some great play from winger Owen Devine, Ponton were denied the lead several times from some great goalkeeping by Birchwood. The Ponton keeper, Kian Tilbury, also had a battle on his hands and pulled off some excellent saves to keep the scores level.

It was the Birchwood winger that eventually broke through the Ponton defence and crossed the ball to his striker to take a great shot. Despite Tilbury’s quick reflexes, he dived to the floor but the ball spun off his gloves and crossed the line. And so the half time score was 1-0 to the visitors.

Ponton were determined to fight back in the second half and Birchwood seemed to take a different course of action by playing the long ball over the top, a style of play that Ponton deal with excellently by adopting a sweeper formation. This gave Ponton more possession and they did not waste it.

A great run from striker Ayden O’Brien ended with him one-on-one with the Birchwood keeper. O’Brien, unselfishly, passed the ball across to his striking partner Barry Harrison to tap into the goal.

Birchwood’s reply came about 10 minutes later when their striker went on a great run and pelted the ball into the back of the net.

Time was starting to run out but Ponton captain Ted Sweeney-Biffen gave the home side hope when his lone run caused a mistake from the Birchwood defender and he was able to slot the ball into the bottom corner to bring the scores level once again.

Ponton went for the win, putting some fresh legs up front and it was not long before a shot from Harrison was deflected off the post and followed up by Liam Raitt who finished superbly, firing the ball into the back of the net.

Ponton played defensively for the last few minutes of the game and came out with the win. Men of the match were Kian Tilbury and Liam Raitt.

Great Ponton: Tilbury, Raitt, McDonald, Wing, Croft, O. Devine, C. Hodgkinson, J. Devine, O’Brien, Harrison, Sweeney-Biffen (c), Simmonds.

A Corby Glen fund-raiser will take part in her 12th London Marathon on Sunday, despite injuring her shoulder in a skiing accident last month.

Penny Hedley Lewis was unsure she would be able to take part in the run after the accident but now says she is 100 per cent sure she will be on the starting line.

Penny, who took part in her first London Marathon in 2006 aged 57, is raising money for the Red Cross. She is the president of the Lincolnshire branch and has raised money for the charity for many years.

Penny told the Journal: “I had a stupid collision, skiing in mid-March. A total blip and misjudgement and my left collarbone hit a pair of skis. There was heavy bruising and I was in a sling from March 20 for three weeks – but I had continued to ski all the week. It happened day one and was totally my fault.

“I was out of the sling a week ago and am back on track, thankfully.

“So next Sunday is a little daunting as I am short of miles on the road. Can I do the distance? It is so annoying as all was going really well with training. I did the Grantham half-marathon in filthy weather. I walked and did a turbo bike while in the sling, but my legs are fine and I am just so relieved I did not hurt them and that it was a left arm injury, not my right. So perhaps I got away with it.

“This year is my 12th London Marathon so even if I finish walking I will get there – I hope. Last year I did four hours 21 minutes and my deadline is five hours so I sincerely hope I can get within five hours.”

To sponsor Penny go to www.tinyurl.com/k2csua9

Lincolnshire Mixed League

Grantham 67

Lincoln A 140

C McCarroll A Eslick N Tinkler G Hall lost to J Payne P Smith K Payne J Withers 12-26, P Tinkler P Greer M LeHair C Goodley beat P Lynn J Bell K Bell D Lynn 19-18, M Barrett J Eslick L Smith G Smith lost to K Stainer J Brown P Wallhead D Cross 5-42, D Sykes D McCarroll R Baxter J Pask lost to M Taylor J Scrayfield D Skayman K Draper 11-33, H Whatley G Parrish J Hall M Appleyard lost to B Brown S Gurney S Simpson T Walker 20-21.

Lincolnshire Over-60s League

Grantham 94

Lincoln 110

D Holton D Abernethy T Asher I Lord lost to R Elvidge B Dunstone J Thomas M McGowan 13-21, T Sumner R Smith C Goodley B Allen beat B Brown M Dagostino O Ward J Harris 27-16, P Jaques S Marshall R Payne M Appleyard lost to P Smith J Campbell S Sherburn P Wallhead 20-22, C Jones P Clarke G Hall J Kime lost to T Streeter P Scordale T Wotton L Rex 18-32, N Tinkler C Richardson I Cole J Lewis lost to R Thompson J French P Roe P Lowe 16-19.

l The County Ladies Trudy Bates final was won by Lincoln Ladies by a small margin over Spalding

l Grantham Outdoor Bowling Club’s green opens on Green Lane (near Sainsbury’s) tomorrow (Saturday), from 11am till 4pm.

Half price membership for all new members will be available on the day at £20.

The Australian Pairs Gala takes place on Sunday from 10am for those that want to have a look.

Patients and members of the public are invited to the next governing body meeting of NHS South West Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 26, from 11am at the New Life Conference Centre, Mareham Lane, Sleaford NG34 7JP.

Led by local GPs and other health professionals, NHS South West Lincolnshire CCG is responsible for the planning and purchasing of health services in Grantham, Sleaford, surrounding villages and South West Lincolnshire.

These services include planned and emergency hospital care, rehabilitation, most community services and mental health and learning disability services.

Dr Vindi Bhandal, Chair of NHS South West Lincolnshire said: “Our Governing Body welcomes patients and the public to this month’s meeting in Sleaford. We hold these meetings in public to offer local people a first-hand opportunity to see how we are working to improve health services in South West Lincolnshire.

“It’s important that patients have a much greater say in their healthcare and there are a number of ways that they can do that. Most of our GP practices now have a patient participation group which allows patients to work with the practice to ensure services are meeting the needs of local patients. We also encourage our patients to get involved in other ways and more information is available on our website at www.southwestlincolnshireccg.nhs.uk.”

A taxi driver has been given a fixed penalty notice for smoking in his licensed vehicle.

The driver admitted the offence and paid the £30 fine within 15 days to South Kesteven District Council after being witnessed by an officer smoking the tobacco whilst driving in Avenue Road in Grantham in March.

Smoking a tobacco cigarette in any taxi or private hire vehicle contravenes smoke free legislation where drivers must not smoke in their vehicles even when they do not have passengers or if using the taxi when off duty.

A spokesman for SKDC said: “The purpose of this is for the passenger to know they will be able to remain free from the risk of second hand smoke exposure from tobacco smoke being present in the air or absorbed into the vehicle seats and soft furnishings.”

The Shetland Pony Grand National is an organisation that raises money each year for a nominated charity.

This year they will be raising money for the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. They do this by taking a team of children aged between eight and 13 years old and Shetland ponies to different venues across the UK.

They travel the country raising awareness and funding for the Trust, ending the season with just 11 jockeys and ponies qualifying or being selected to compete in front of thousands of people at The Olympia Horse Show, London, in December.

All potential jockeys must attend a training day in order to race each season, and this year it is being held tomorrow (Saturday) at Arena UK, Allington.

Spectators are welcome, there is no entrance fee, and racing starts from approximately 11am.

For more information www.shetlandponygrandnational.net

Here are 30 of the latest job vacancies available through Grantham Jobcentre:

Occupational Hygienist, Lincolnshire, Full Time, £25,000 - £30,000 per year, Job ID 42537895

Laser Cutting Estimator /Fabrication Estimator, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 29801744

Accounts Admin / Ledger Admin, Grantham, Full Time, £16,000 - £18,000 per year, Job ID 42531623

Practice Nurse Locum, Grantham, Part Time (less than 30 hours), £25.00 - £42.00 per hour, Job ID 41414659

Station Support Luggage Assistants, Grantham, Full Time, £7.50 per hour, Job ID 42526215

Chef, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42523271

Personal Trainer, Grantham, Part Time (less than 30 hours), Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42517326

Property Estate Agent - Sales Negotiator, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42526252

Field Sales, Grantham, Full Time, £27,000 - £60,000 (basic wage + commission), Job ID 42509213

Junior Maintenance Engineer, Grantham, Full Time, £25,000 - £30,000, Job ID 42502760

Sales Administrator, Lincolnshire, Part Time, £8.00 per hour, Job ID 42499120

Panel Wirer, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42485763

Thomson Retail Travel Advisor, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42427018

Sales Administrator, Grantham, Part Time (less than 30 hours), £8.00 per hour, Job ID 42472312

Apprenticeship In Recruitment, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42468746

Food Service Manager, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42460889

Automotive Technician, Grantham, Full Time, £24,000 - £29,000 per year, Job ID 42478036

Kitchen Team Member, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42435702

Electrician, Grantham, Full Time, £28,000-£34,000 per year, Job ID 41300622

Health Club Assistant, Grantham, Part Time (Less than 30 hours), Meets minimum wage, Job ID 34410954

Warehouse Operative, Bottesford (Outskirts), Full Time, £7.20-£7.50 per hour, Job ID 17141261

Customer Service Executive, Grantham, Full Time, £16,000-£18,000 per year, Job ID 42430193

HR Advisor, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42520725

Precast Concrete Mould Fitter, Grantham, Full Time, Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42519157

Electrical Maintenance Engineer, Grantham, Full Time, £33,000 per year, Job ID 42518715

Design Engineer, Grantham, Full Time, £24,000 per year, Job ID 42518242

Sales Assistant, Grantham, Full Time, £14,625.00 per year (up to £7.50 per hour depending on age), Job ID 42512120

Mystery Shopper, Grantham, Part Time (Less than 30 hours/Flexitime/Homeworking), Wage to be confirmed, Job ID 42391204

Credit Controller, Grantham, Full Time, £19,000 - £21,000 per year, Job ID 42469635

Sales and Design Consultant, Grantham, Full Time, £26,000 per year, Job ID 42426643

** To find out more about a vacancy, visit www.gov.uk/jobsearch and enter the Job ID into the ‘Skills’ search field. Change the search settings to look for jobs posted in the last 30 days

A group of local fundraisers affected by kidney disease have raised £20,000 through Nottingham Hospitals Charity for new specialist dialysis chairs at Nottingham City Hospital.

The Nottinghamshire Kidney Units Appeal (NKUA) group – with members in Newark and Grantham – raised the money through a series of fund-raising activities including a golf day, car boot sales and theatre collections. Since the group was formed in 2002 it has raised more than £194,000 to help renal patients and fund kidney research. Before presenting the cheque, members of the group were given a tour of the dialysis unit so they could see first-hand how their donations would benefit patients.

Group Chair Richard Reynolds said: “The dedication of the staff is clear and we look forward to helping them and others at the Renal Unit as we all strive to improve the lives of people with kidney disease. Our members have all been affected by kidney disease either directly or through someone close to them.

“Right now the lives of three million people are threatened by chronic kidney disease and most people know of someone touched by it in some way - from a painful kidney stone to end stage renal failure.

“Patients receiving dialysis sit for up to four hours so a comfortable seat is essential. The money we’ve raised will fund the purchase of modern specialist chairs which are easily adjusted for comfort and move up and down to allow staff to work at a safe and comfortable level.”

Nottingham Hospitals charity fund-raising manager Nick Lawford said: “We are so grateful to all of the members of the Nottinghamshire Kidney Units Appeal group whose tireless enthusiasm, passion and dedication has enabled them to raise such a huge amount of money for the Nottingham Renal and Transplant unit.

“The Unit serves a population of approximately one million people, with patients coming from across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. More than 1,000 people with kidney failure are currently being treated there so the new dialysis chairs funded by the group are going to have a hugely positive impact.”

A care home has been told its service is not safe and there are areas which need improvement.

Newton House Care Home, in Barrowby Road, Grantham, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in December. Its recent report says CQC inspectors were returning to the home because it found at a previous inspection in 2015 that the home had breached two legal requirements.

In its report, the CQC asked if the service was safe and said it was ‘inadequate’. It also asked if the service was well-led and said it required improvment. At the time of the visit the home had 108 residents, including some with dementia.

The report says that there were a recorded 401 falls by residents between February and October 2016, of which more than 75 per cent were not seen by staff. The home said it has taken steps to try and address the risk of people falling but the CQC said this was not consistently effective in keeping people safe.

The report quoted a number of relatives of residents in the home who were concerned. One relative was quoted as saying: “He’s supposed to be on 1:1 when I am not there, due to his falls risk. (But) he had a fall and hit the back of his headlast week. The hospital glued it for him.”

The report also said that the home was still not doing enough to protect residents from the risk of attack from other people living in the home. It said that in the previous 12 months there had been 51 abusive attacks.

A spokesman for Barchester Healthcare Ltd, which runs the home, said: “We take the findings of the inspection conducted in December very seriously, and as an immediate response, we developed a robust action plan to address the issues highlighted.

“We have further developed this plan to ensure that the improvements that have been made are sustained. We have also been working closely with the local authority and the clinical commissioning group and have received positive feedback from them. The management team at the home has been strengthened and we would like to reassure everyone of our commitment to providing the highest quality of care to those living at Newton House, and to emphasise that the health and wellbeing of our residents is at the forefront of everything we do.”

n Read the full report at www.cqc.org.uk

A volley of fun tennis sessions will take place in Grantham to help people with their mental health.

The sessions have been organised by Grantham Tennis Club after a successful series of events last autumn which were called ‘Feeling Good’.

Organiser Dale Wright said: “The original ‘Feeling Good’ project seemed to be exactly what was needed so we decided not to spend too much time thinking about a new title. ‘Feeling Good Again’ is just what the new scheme is about and, with the support of our excellent club coaches and volunteers, I can say that everyone who comes along will feel very welcome, relaxed and positive right from the start.

“The emphasis will be on fun basic tennis activities (with all equipment provided) with participants able to take things at their own pace. As before, there will be a 20-minute social break half way through with the finest healthy refreshment that Grantham can offer.”

The first two sessions take place on Wednesday and Wednesday, May 3, and are ‘Come and Give it a Try’ mornings. These will be followed by a further 12 Wednesday morning outdoor sessions, although the indoor courts will be available in case of bad weather.

The sessions are free of charge. Members of local mental health teams will also take part.

For anyone without their own transport the club will try to help with transport to and from the club.

For further details, and for help with transport, call Grantham Tennis Club on 01476 591391.

Week two of the Witham Wheelers 10-mile TT league saw another great turnout of 45 riders, with the usual mix of abilities.

Conditions were again dry but a cold, easterly breeze was not helpful to speed.

There was a really close battle for fastest rider on the evening, with Karl Baillie (Giant Wattbike) 22min 3sec just beating Reece Egner by two seconds, with Alistair Golby (Cambridge Uni) a further second adrift.

First lady was Lara Thornhill and Joshua Gibson was the fastest of the youth riders.

On handicap, there were some significant improvements with Julie Clark leading the way and Cameron McRae not far behind. For the veterans, it looks like another long season trying to catch up with Michael Smalley.

Signing on at Grantham Cricket Club on Tuesday is from 6pm, with the first rider to start at 6.45pm. All welcome.

Results: 1 Karl Baillie 22:03, 2 Reece Egner 22:05 PB, 3 Alistair Golby 22:06 PB, 4 John Pilgrim 22:59, 5 Adam Egner 23:21, 6 Henry Gould 24:36, 7 Stephen Hobday 24:42, 8 Simon Cocker 25:01, 9 Steven Perks 25:03 PB, 10 Michael Smalley 25:07, 11 Chris Pugh 25:48, 12 Matthew Kingston-Lee 25:50, 13 Dave Strickson 26:07, 14 Robert Keep 26:28 PB, 15 Mark Bailey 26:30, 16 Tom Feeley 26:39 PB, 17 Chris Masters 26:40 PB, 18 Tony Hardenberg 26:44, 19 Ehren Courtman 26:45, 20 Gary Tudbury 26:51, 21 Lara Thornhill 27:39, 22 Cameron McRae 27:44 PB, 23 Tim Fletcher 28:00, 24 Robert Bristow 28:01, 25 Richard Manton 28:04, 26 Raymond McCaughey 28:19, 27 Kyle Fisher 28:31, 28 Sophie Hunt 28:34 PB, 29 Wayne Searle 28:35, 30 Gavin Kettle 28:40 PB, 31 Chris Crawford 29:10, 32 Guy Haws 29:24, 33 Tracey George 29:33, 34 Bill Harrison 29:37 PB, 35 Natalie Eastaugh 29:39, 36 Phil Gibson 29:43 PB, 37 Mick Smith 29:50 PB, 37 Phil Smith 29:50, 39 Joshua Gibson 30:45, 40 Julie Clark 31:05 PB, 41 Joanna McGrath 32:07 PB, 42 Eleanor Crawford 32:16, 43 Vicky Safarris 32:35, 44 Isobel Hobday 33:26 PB, 45 Joshua Kettle 33:29.

l Wheeler John Pilgrim just missed out on a personal best in his first 10TT of the season on the City Road Club course at South Cave, Hull.

Despite difficult conditions, John still pulled out a 19:51 on the notoriously superfast course, with the winner recording a stunning 18:12!

Choristers at St Wulfram’s Church have hit a high note by successfully passing demanding exams.

The choristers have won the Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) Dean’s (Bronze) Award. The exam tests singing ability, musical theory, musical knowledge and musicianship, as well as the context of singing in a church.

Some of the choristers who have passed are as young as the RSCM allows to do the exam – nine years old.

The successful choristers are Lilia Sugden, Jake Broughton, Charlotte Whysall, Ethan Fulton and Tom 
Fletcher.

Dr Tim Williams, organist and Master of the Music at St Wulfram’s, said: “We have now had 40 Dean’s Awards at St Wulfram’s in my time at the church. Choristers then progress to the Bishop’s Award (we have had 18), and all aspire one day to win the RSCM Gold Award (we have had five so far).

The choristers have been very busy over the Easter period; they have sung some quite remarkable music, and I am very proud of all they have done and achieved.”

As the new term begins, the church is recruiting to its boys’ choir. Boys from the age of seven can join, although it is a cathedral standard choir. There is no audition process and the boys can attend any local school. They rehearse after school on Tuesdays and on Fridays early evening, and sing services mainly on Sundays. They travel to sing in cathedrals, and the church runs a range of social activities.

Parents can contact Dr Williams at music@stwulf
rams.com about membership.

The girls’ choir is so popular that it is at capacity and running a waiting list, but parents can still send an enquiry to Dr Williams, as it is likely there will be some space for new members in September.

Follow the church choir: www.facebook.com/
StWulframsChurchChoir

Alex Adams grew up in Grantham and is now a credited author, having co-penned a book on how to stop snoring. It may be an embarrassing subject, but it is deadly serious as it has ended relationships and can be fatal. Alex, now based in London, has written the book called Stop Snoring...the Easy Way with Dr Mike Dilkes. Alex tells the Journal how the book came about.

What is your background?

I attended Cliffedale Primary School in my formative years

and I am now a director for a tech start-up in London which makes a digital platform tasked with being the corporate Google. I have been in corporate learning for some time and it is very much in line with my 
personal philosophy – and the philosophy of the book – which is everyone wants to learn far more than we give them credit for, but the 
information has to be short, clear, relevant and it MUST work.

How did the idea for the book come about?

As a top ear, nose and throat surgeon, my co-author Dr Mike Dilkes shares a passion of mine in simple and effective solutions to big problems – and this is how the concept of the book began. The unique features of our book are two-fold. Firstly, the short daily routines work – if you stick to it you will be stress-free, elbow-in-the-back free and well rested in two weeks. These stats will only impress those families for whom, behind closed doors, snoring is far more than just annoying – it permeates all of family and personal life.

What is the important message in the book?

The second part is the angle we come at the problem – you will only change if you know why it is important for you personally to do so. The existing books on this topic focus solely on snoring as embarrassing and loud and annoying. The reality is that thinking of snoring purely as a social problem is like thinking that the only issue with smoking is that it smells. There is a huge amount that’s happening in the background of the snorer as the body experiences short sharp breaks in the regular breathing pattern – the fallout of these underlying and unspoken dangers is the focus of the book – and it is having a fantastic response at calling people to action.

What kind of reception has the book had?

Of course the coverage on This Morning has given the book a great introduction and was very amusing -– but for us the real gold was in the Daily Telegraph where a colomnist and his wife did the exercises and after two weeks they were both snore free! That’s what gets us. 
The book is now a number one best seller so it’s great 
to get such a huge 
response.

Will you write more books in the future?

There are a number of books in the pipeline so do watch this space – our primary 
focus is getting the message of Stop Snoring... the Easy Way out as far and wide as possible.

It infuriates me whenever I go shopping in Asda.

Why? Ignorant lazy shoppers who cant be bothered to put their trolley back in a trolley bay!

Is it really too much for you to take an extra minute when you have finished loading your car with your groceries to just walk a few steps,and put your trolley into the nearest trolley bay?

I imagine when you get to Asda , you will pick up a trolley outside the front door – well someone has to keep that bay loaded for you!

Just have a thought for other shoppers and the guys who have to tidy them up.

I have suggested to Asda that they have trolleys that you have to put a £1 in so people would have to put them back.

Susan Eldridge

By email

Households across Lincolnshire are being warned about a telephone scam in the county where callers claim that council tax bills have been lowered.

Several elderly residents have been called by someone who was persistent in telling them that the amount of council tax they owe had been cut after their properties had been revalued.

The caller also claimed that their victims were entitled to a refund if they gave them their bank details.

A spokesman for Boston Borough Council, one of the authorities targeted, said: “Residents should be careful if they are ever asked for their bank details by someone calling them where they have not initiated the call themselves.

“The only, and very rare, circumstances in which a council would ask a customer about their bank details is to verify the information it already holds.”

To report council tax scams, call South Holland District Council on 01775 761161.

Lincolnshire CCC begin their 2017 campaign when they host Cambridgeshire at Grantham CC’s Gorse Lane next Sunday (April 30) in the first of their four group stage matches in the Unicorns Knockout Trophy.

Last year’s captain David Lucas has retired from Minor Counties cricket and the mantle will now be held by Carl Wilson (Bourne CC), last season’s vice-captain.

Andy Carter (Bracebridge Heath CC), released by Nottinghamshire CCC, will form part of the county club’s pace attack and the other significant signing is the former Derbyshire player, Matt Lineker, who returns to play for Lincolnshire after a three year absence. He will also be playing his club cricket at Bracebridge Heath CC.

Matt Carter, who is in the second year of his contract with Nottinghamshire CCC, is likely to be available for all four of the group stage matches.

The county club’s officials continue as in the past season: John Van-der-Vord as president and Chris Keywood chairman, with chief executive Chris Farmer embracing the financial and secretarial roles, and Mark Fell as director of cricket.

The team for the opening fixture against Cambridgeshire will be selected from the following squad: Carl Wilson (captain and wicket keeper), Karanjit Bansal, Andy Carter, Matt Carter, Dan Freeman, Louis Kimber, Tom Knight, Matt Lineker, Jonny Tattersall, Adam Tillcock, Harry Warwick and Alex Willerton.

Details of the club’s 2017 fixtures can be found at www.lincolnshireccc.play-cricket.com

Next Sunday’s game is scheduled to start at 11am.

Regular Grantham Journal Memory Lane contributor Stan Matthews dropped off this collection of snaps from his bodybuilding days.

Stan said: “It may interest some as bodybuilding and wrestling were popular in Grantham some years ago.

“During the 1950s, many young men attempted to obtain a well developed physique.”

Grantham Physical Culture Club started in 1954 by Norman Harrison, a lorry driver for the railway, and Harry Mitcham, a hairdresser in Castlegate.

Training took place in Norman’s terraced house in George Street before more members joined when suitable premises were found.

Stan recalls the club being visited by former Mr Universe, Reg Parks, double Mr Universe, Paul Wynter, and top bodybuilders who joined the professional wrestling ranks – such as Colsterworth’s Stuart Bellamy, Peter Deakin, Spencer Churchill, John Lees, Earl Maynard and Ernie Coates.

I recently acquired a short archaeological report: ‘Lincolnshire Architectural and Archaeological Society Reports and Papers, Volume 6, Part 2, 1956’.

It contains information relating to The Cherry Holt, a late-17th/early-18th century moated site that once existed off Harrowby Lane.

The Ministry of Works excavated the site in August and September 1953. The report author, Mr. M. W. Thompson, supervised the excavation.

The town council wished to fill in the moat for sanitary reasons – this was in readiness for the commencement of the building of the proposed Cherry Orchard estate.

The earthwork was approximately 40-50 feet broad and four-five feet deep with an entrance to the south-east and would have occupied ground where Shakespeare Avenue meets Byron Avenue. The site first appears on an old map dated 1824.

Clues still exist today on the position of the site. Unlike all of the other houses on the Cherry Orchard estate, the homes built on the site of The Cherry Holt are bungalows.

It is likely that single storey dwellings were built on the site due to the fact that the foundations were built on ground that had been filled. The cul-de-sac opposite the bungalows, Moat Walk, also pays homage to The Cherry Holt.

After pursuing several lines of enquiry, Thompson concluded that the moated earthwork was most probably intended for watering livestock and was similar to another moated site at Epperstone in Nottinghamshire.

Although, some of the ceramic finds may suggest dairying activities, Thompson concluded: “The site is fairly remote from any village and we suggest that the moat was dug as a convenient collecting point for watering and milking cattle while they were on Summer pasture, possibly while they were on the rough pasturage of Hall’s Hill which overlooks the site.”

Terry Welbourn

Grantham

Next weekend’s Guildhall Arts Centre line-up promises a mix of music, comedy and dance.

On Friday (April 28), Grant Koper presents The Martini Encounter.

A cacophony of song, ukuleles, spoon playing and gin, enter the jaded and threadbare world of Binkie, Maud, Muffy and Colin – aka The Martini Encounter.

Never refined but always eccentric, this naughty and flamboyant quartet celebrate their former ‘careers’ in what could very loosely be described as ‘showbiz’, basking in glorious vocal close-harmony singing and a frequently surprising cocktail of mischievous repartee.

Not to mention banging toons ranging from Talking Heads and Queen to Blur and Scissor Sisters via Bonnie Tyler and Lionel Bart, accompanied by their ukuleles, the Stylophone, the musical saw and other supposed ‘instruments’.

Following sensationally squiffy appearances at the Edinburgh, Glastonbury and Latitude Festivals, this hilarious and musically sublime quartet burst from London cabaret scene to inflict their shtick and their very small instruments upon the nation.

Contains adult language. Visit www.themartiniencounter.biz

In contrast, Ballet Central’s diverse range of dance and theatre returns under the auspices of its new artistic director Christopher Marney on the Saturday.

See the company’s young and dynamic dancers on the cusp of their professional careers, showcasing newly commissioned works and celebrated masterpieces.

The repertoire for this year’s tour features work by Sir Matthew Bourne, Indigo Children by Royal Ballet artist in residence Liam Scarlett, and a new version of the ballroom scene from Romeo & Juliet by former English National Ballet’s Jenna Lee. It also includes a specially created work by Christopher Bruce, as well as excerpts from Petipa’s La Bayadere and The Nutcracker.

The tour will also feature a scene from Dracula, choreographed by Michael Pink from the original production directed by Christopher Gable in 1996.

This family-friendly show is ideal for dance enthusiasts as well as those new to ballet. Don’t miss this opportunity to see these highly talented dancers at the peak of their training as they launch their professional careers.

For more information about booking tickets for either show, go to www.guildhallartscentre.com, call 01476 406158 or visit the box office.

The countdown to Push The Boat Out 2017 is on as there is less than one month to go until you and your family can try sailing and windsurfing for free and low cost across Lincolnshire.

Between Saturday, May 13, and Sunday, May 21, seven sailing clubs and centres across the county are opening their doors to host Push The Boat Out ‘have-a-go’ events to give anyone who might never have thought they could give sailing a try the chance to get out on the water.

Every event is different but there is something for everyone. As well as sailing and windsurfing, you might also get the chance to go for a ride in a powerboat. With sailing being one of the most inclusive sports around, people across the spectrum of disabilities will be able get afloat at some of the events too.

Those hosting events in Lincolnshire are Covenham, Hykeham, Witham, Welland YC and Girton sailing clubs, plus Tallington Watersports and the Lincolnshire and District Sailing Association (LDSA). They are amongst 370 events taking place nationwide over the nine Push The Boat Out days, with more than 90,000 people nationally having been introduced to sailing through Push The Boat Out since its launch in 2013.

Alistair Dickson, RYA Director of Sport Development, said: “Sailing is such an accessible sport and many people aren’t aware of the opportunities available close to them or how affordable the sport can be. Push the Boat Out is all about making that connection and we are delighted to have these Lincolnshire venues taking part this year.”

Don’t worry about kit, packing a lunch or anything else for Push The Boat Out; every event will provide all the equipment you need with refreshments available. So grab a towel and some old trainers you don’t mind getting wet and sail into summer with Push The Boat Out.

For full details of exactly what is on and when at each participating sailing club and centre, visit www.rya.org.uk/PTBO – to search for an event where disabled people can get on the water tick the ‘Sailability’ activities box.