A MOTORCYCLIST who died after crashing into the back of a van in Spalding had been performing a wheelie just seconds earlier.

Witnesses to the crash told an inquest on Friday how Patryk Wojtczak did not seem to realise the van was stationary on London Road as he approached at “high speed”.

Van driver Darren Andrews told how he had pulled in behind some parked cars to allow an oncoming Isuzu truck and trailer to pass when the collision happened on September 13.

He said: “While I was stationary I heard the motorcyclist enter the road. It was coming at high speed. Hearing the engine, I looked in my wing mirror and saw the motorcyclist pulling a wheelie.

“As the motorcycle was quickly approaching, he came out of the wheelie and pulled the brakes on hard and skidded off.

“The motorcycle came by the side of the van and the motorcycle rider hit the back of it.”

Mr Wojtczak (30), of Thistle Gardens, Spalding, was airlifted to Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital but later died from multiple injuries.

The Drayman’s Arms landlord Anthony Branch told the inquest he had seen the motorcyclist earlier in the day and previously in the area.

He said: “About 20 minutes to half an hour before the accident he came by the pub as I was going out the gate.

“He went by me doing a wheelie and I would estimate he was doing 60 to 80mph.”

Mr Branch said he was “99.9 per cent sure” he had seen the same motorcyclist on a different occasion performing a crucifix – a manoeuvre where the rider stands up and puts their arms out.

Collision investigator PC Mark Hamilton estimated Mr Wojtczak had been travelling towards Spalding town centre at “no less than” 52mph on the Yamaha 600.

He also estimated he was still travelling about 40mph when he hit the van.

He said the effect of performing a wheelie would have left Mr Wojtczak with no steering or braking control and may have restricted his view of the road ahead.

Coroner Maureen Taylor said the incident should act as a warning to other motorists.

She said: “The outcome has been caused entirely by the standard of driving and no other person involved could be held responsible.

“Perhaps other motorists will take note that performing such actions and speeds on Lincolnshire’s roads is extremely ill-advised and the outcome may be the same as we are hearing today.”

After the hearing, a statement from Mr Wojtczak’s family said: “Mr Wojtczak’s family ask for people to not judge Patryk by the cover. He was not a crazy driver but maybe on that occasion he was driving a bit too fast.

“He was a good and valued person. This should be a warning to other road users to think twice.”

Miss Taylor recorded a verdict of accidental death at the hearing at Spalding Magistrates’ Court.

A GRIEVING man – who lay down drunk in a cold, wet field – was abusive to emergency service personnel when they went to his aid.

Zak Hurst (19) first became violent towards an ambulance service crew in the field beside Gas House Lane, Sutton Bridge.

Spalding magistrates heard that the ambulance service alerted police and Pc Robert Exler went to the scene and saw the ambulance crew walking away from Hurst, who was shouting, swearing and swinging his fists in the air.

Miss Ritson said Hurst was saying he would “have them” and then turned his attention to Pc Exler, swearing at him and shouting “I will have you too”.

Hurst swung a clenched fist at Pc Exler, which connected with his leg, but the officer then used CS spray to subdue Hurst so he could be handcuffed.

Hurst, of Royal Close, Sutton Bridge, was fined £100 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £15 victim surcharge when he pleaded guilty to a public order offence arising from the incident on January 10.

Hurst represented himself at Thursday’s hearing and told the court he was drunk on that day because he was still upset about losing his nan, who died on December 17.

When passing sentence, presiding magistrate Madge Marshall-Brown said: “Your gran would not have been very proud of you on that day, would she?”

Mrs Marshall-Brown said the ambulance service and police had gone to the field to help him.

She continued: “Funnily enough, people do care about each other and the way you rewarded them was to act like a fool.”

UPDATE: Wednesday, 1.15pm: RESIDENTS with any concerns following yesterday’s armed stand-off in Sutton St James are being urged to talk to police.

Insp Jim Tyner has said there will be an ongoing police presence in the village until investigations into the incident are complete.

The 11-hour operation in Chapelgate ended in tragedy at about 10.30pm last night when officers discovered the body of Barry Horspool in an upstairs room at the home.

Insp Tyner said: “We recognise that this must have been a fairly traumatic ordeal for the local community and we’d like to thank them for their cooperation and patience throughout the operation.

“We realise that significant disruption was caused, but decisions to commit the level of resources we did are not taken lightly and preserving public safety is always our main priority.

“There will be an ongoing police presence in the area until our investigations are completed. We would urge people living in the village to talk to our officers on the scene if they have any concerns.

“Thankfully Lincolnshire is a particularly safe place to live and incidents like this are extremely rare.”

Wednesday, 8am: The stand-off in Sutton St James ended late last night with armed officers finding the body of a man at the Chapelgate property.

The near 12-hour incident ended around 10.30pm with the discovery of the body - expected to be confirmed as Barry Horspool - in an upstairs room.

Police say no shots were fired by officers.

A Lincolnshire Police statement said: “Investigations are ongoing and a further update will follow on Wednesday.”

The local police officer who suffered a minor facial injury on Tuesday lunchtime during the early part of the incident has been treated and discharged from Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital.

Tuesday, 6.30pm: The man involved in the stand-off with armed police in Sutton St James has been named locally.

It’s believed to be Barry Horspool, who is thought to be around 60 years old.

One source says the incident, which has been ongoing since lunchtime, was sparked when police called on him over a firearms licence. But another report suggests police were responding to a “concern for safety call”.

Mr Horspool’s address is listed as being in Chapelgate, the road currently cordoned off by police.

One nearby resident told us that he is a mobility scooter user.

UPDATE Tuesday 4.55pm: Police are understood to be negotiating with someone in a property in Chapelgate, Sutton St James, to bring a safe end to events.

Tuesday, 4.25pm: UNCONFIRMED latest report is that armed police are understood to be in a stand-off at a property in Chapelgate.

Several more police vehicles have just turned up, including two dog units from Leicestershire Constabulary.

Must stress the stand-off is UNCONFIRMED as Lincolnshire Police concentrating on the situation and releasing little information at the moment.

Tuesday, 3.15pm: Police dealing with a firearm incident at Chapelgate, Sutton St James, are asking people in the area to stay in their homes and not to go out or gather in public places. The area affected is between Bells Drove and Taylor’s Drove.

People who live in the area and who aren’t already at home are requested not to attempt to go home, but instead to go to nearby houses of friends or relatives.

People who do not have anywhere suitable to go can make their way to the village hall in Sutton St James. If people have problems making their way to the village hall they should speak to a police officer at one of the containment points who can enable access.

The containment checkpoints are:

• the junction of Chapelgate and Broadgate

• the junction of Jarvis Gate and Chapelgate

• the junction of Bells Drove and Chapelgate

• the junction of Baulkins Drove and Broadgate

• Garner’s Garage and Chapelgate

The incident is still ongoing and therefore police are unable to release further information. Lincolnshire Polce say updates about the incident or its implications on the public will be provided when possible.

Tuesday 2.40pm: A police car with its driver’s side window broken - believed to be by at least one gun shot - has been taken away from Chapelgate in Sutton St James.

One eyewitness reports that the car was parked there by police after the incident nearby.

It’s understood the male driver was hurt and waited there for an ambulance.

Tuesday, 2.10pm: Chapelgate in Sutton St James is currently the scene of a major police operation, believed to involve a firearm.

Details are sketchy but one eyewitness suggests a shot being taken at a passing police car.

A police officer has been injured and roads around the area have been closed.

A police statement reads: “Lincolnshire Police are currently dealing with an incident at Chapelgate, Sutton St James.

“The incident is ongoing and we are currently unable to provide further information for operational reasons. An officer has sustained minor injuries during the incident.

The roads around the area have been closed and diversions put in place. People are being asked to avoid the area around Chapelgate, Sutton St James.”

• If you know anything about the incident call us confidentially on 01775 765420

WORK on the £830,000 marina planned for Sutton Bridge is due to start in July and finish by the end of this year.

Lincolnshire County Council claims the project will boost the local economy by £200,000 or more per year, creating new jobs and safeguarding existing ones.

Almost half the cost – £400,000 – will be met by Section 106 money from the power station fund managed by South Holland District Council.

And £300,000 will come from the LEADER funding initiative of the Rural Development Programme for England, supported by the European Commission and Defra.

The county council, which won planning consent for the project in December 2010, is chipping in £130,000.

In last week’s Spalding Guardian, Port Sutton Bridge founder Peter Clery questioned the use of £400,000 from the power station money to fund the marina – and asked if £150,000 of that could be put to one side for a multi-sports complex.

Mr Clery, who chairs the community centre, also said it was unclear how the people of Sutton Bridge would benefit from the marina expenditure.

This week county council head of enterprise Justin Brown told the Spalding Guardian: “The new marina will attract thousands of visitors to the area. Our research suggests this will benefit the local economy to the tune of £200,000 a year.

“This would be a valuable boost for local businesses and is predicted to lead to new jobs with further ones protected.

“The project is likely to kick-start further investment and regeneration in the area, meaning the long term benefits are likely to be even greater.

“Steady progress continues to be made and we’re hoping to have everything wrapped up by the end of the year.”

The plan is to create 80 moorings – 70 will be permanent, with half used by people living in the area and half by people living outside. Ten will be for visitors.

Work also includes refurbishment of the promenade and creating new parking spaces.

Nene Marine community group was formed to take the project forward with backing from Fenland District Council, Port of Wisbech, the Environment Agency and the county council.

l See letters, page 6.

THIEVES who stole lead roof gullies from homes in Station Road, Long Sutton, were caught by police at Kirton.

Pc Darren Enderby told Long Sutton Parish Council that homeowners targeted by lead thieves are now using plastic where they can to replace stolen gullies.

He said: “It looks exactly the same as lead, it does the same job and it’s got no value whatsoever.”

Pc Enderby told parish councillors on Thursday there were 17 crimes in the village during the previous month – two involving violence, seven thefts, two ‘bilkings’ where people left the BP garage without paying for fuel, a burglary at a garage and five criminal damages.

He said: “The metal thefts seem to have slowed down at the moment.

“Of those five thefts, only one was lead and one was a catalytic convertor.”

LETTERS are to be sent to schools in Spalding highlighting problems of chewing gum being dropped on town centre streets.

Spalding Town Centre Neighbourhood Panel, in conjunction with the police, decided to take action after discussing ways of tackling the sticky issue and spitting in the street at its latest meeting.

Members also agreed to contact South Holland District Council to ask for the street cleaning team or those involved in the Community Payback team to have a purge on cleaning up the gum.

The latest meeting of the neighbourhood panel was particularly well attended after PCSOs carried out a leaflet drop in St Thomas’s Road encouraging more people to come forward to highlight issues affecting the town and attempt to find solutions.

At the meeting, chairman Julie Grant said new members are always welcome, adding: “To move forward we need to highlight any new problems that occur in the town centre or any that may have been quiet for a while but have started up again.

“Whilst we all have our own area issues, some of these will never stop completely so spending time at these meetings discussing them time after time will be a waste of our energies.”

Some of the other issues raised at the meeting included theft of bikes, rubbish being thrown in residents’ gardens, bottles being smashed in the street, lack of rubbish bins, street drinking, defecation in alleyways, urinating in the streets.

They also discussed the need for at least one toilet block in the town being left open 24 hours a day.

With regards to rubbish, members agreed to contact the Environment Agency to raise concerns about the state of the River Welland and the Coronation Channel.

The group has had a number of successes in dealing with issues since it started in June 2010, including tidying and cutting the hedge at Broad Street car park, replacement of a fire damaged lamppost in the Swan Street area and liaising with the council on issues such as graffiti.

The next meeting will be held on April 10 at 7pm at the district council offices in Priory Road, Spalding (to be confirmed).

VILLAGERS have spoken of their shock at Tuesday afternoon’s dramatic events.

Sutton St James’s community stood and watched as emergency services and the media swamped the village as the armed stand-off unfolded in Chapelgate.

The usually quiet village became a no-go area as officers took maximum precautions during the incident, where Barry Horspool was understood to have been making threats with a gun.

Carole Taylor, who was caring for her nine-month-old grandson Joshua just a few doors away, first noticed something was wrong when she saw someone run past the kitchen window at the side of her house.

She said: “I locked the doors when I saw the shadow run past and when I went into the front room, I saw the police with guns outside and it was a bit of a shock.

“This is a lovely village and everyone is so friendly.”

But Carole could not stay in her home as police had asked. She had no food for Joshua and she needed to get him home to parents John and Nic, who live the other side of the village.

She alerted officers to her situation and they escorted her from the scene.

“They said they would knock on the door when they were ready,” she explained. “The police were brilliant. I cannot thank them enough.”

Fellow Chapelgate resident Tom Sutton said: “This is a quiet little village and there’s never a lot of trouble here.

“We really have everything that we want here. It’s a bit of a shock.”

Jeanette’s hairdressers decided to close for the afternoon on Tuesday as customers struggled to get through.

Owner Jeanette Kidd was still receiving calls to see if the road was clear.

She told the Spalding Guardian: “Everyone is in shock.”

JE Garner’s garage said some of their customers had also failed to arrive for MOTs as the siege took hold.

Carers for a number of elderly residents living on the street had also been unable to make their way through the road blocks.

One resident said the road closure in Chapelgate, which was still in place yesterday, had caused “total chaos”.

He said school buses, lorries and cars were being forced to make a three-point turn or reverse back the way they came.

THIEVES stole two mopeds from the driveway of a house in Hereward Road, Spalding on Monday night.

A diesel engine van was heard at around 2am and the mopeds were found to be missing late that morning.

They are a black and red Chitmagy 200, registration number OU05 OKM, and a black MBK Nitro 500, reg number Y49 UGP.

Anyone with information should contact PC Dave Doe on 101.

BURGLARS have stolen cash from a till in an overnight raid at a farm shop in Gedney.

The burglary at Chestnut Farm Shop on the A17 was discovered at about 6am this morning.

Police say the offenders got in by breaking a window at the back.

Anyone with information should contact Spalding Police Station by dialling 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

LINCOLNSHIRE Police are warning computer users about a new email scam.

A message entitled ‘Population Census: a message to everyone – act now’ is being circulated, allegedly in the name of National Statistician, Jil Matheson.

The email demands people provide further personal information, supposedly for the Census and threatens fines for non-compliance.

However it has no connection with the National Statistician, the 2011 Census or the Office for National Statistics.

Police believe the links in the email could download malware to any computer where the user click the link. This could put personal data, including financial information, at risk.

Anyone receiving this, or similar emails, should delete them, not open any links and certainly not provide any information.

You can report suspicious emails to www.actionfraud.org.uk

A FORMER police community support officer has been jailed for ten years for the rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl.

Michael Yardley, who was employed by Lincolnshire Police as part of a neighbourhood policing team, had a seven-month secret affair with the youngster before coming under suspicion when his shocked wife Stephanie caught them cuddling on the sofa of their home.

Andrew Scott, prosecuting, told Lincoln Crown Court on Friday that Yardley had got up early telling his wife he was going for a run but when she later went downstairs she was left stunned by she saw.

Yardley (35), of Haconby Lane, Morton, admitted raping the girl on October 27, 2010, when she was 12 and four charges of sexual activity with a young girl between November 2010 and April last year.

He was jailed for ten years and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

Full story in Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.

AN ELDERLY cyclist has died after being hit by a car in Whaplode Drove.

The 77-year-old man from Crowland died at scene following the crash in Broadgate just after 1pm this afternoon.

He collided with a Suzuki Wagon, driven by an 80-year-old man from Spalding. The driver was not injured.

Broadgate is currently closed.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or who saw the vehicle prior to the incident should contact the police collision witness hotline on 01522 558855.

The cyclist is the third person killed on Lincolnshire’s roads this year compared to five at the same point in 2011.

NORFOLK Green is boosting its Sunday service from April so buses run half hourly, councillor Chris Brewis reported to Long Sutton and Sutton Bridge parish councils.

The company runs a 505 service between Spalding and King’s Lynn and will introduce a new 7.45pm weekday service from King’s Lynn.

Coun Brewis said it was the best bus service the villages had enjoyed.

A GIRL of 13 set fire to curtains in a Spalding flat and, as the fire spread, neighbours from the block were evacuated from their homes by her friends.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was with friends at 1am on January 5 and was flicking a lighter when a male in the party said: “Go on I dare you, set fire to the curtains”.

At yesterday’s Spalding Youth Court the girl admitted arson, unlawfully damaging property and being reckless as to whether the life of another would be endangered.

The court heard the mother was elsewhere at the time.

Magistrates considered making a parenting order because they held her mother responsible although the girl lit the fire. But no order was made after the mother told the youth offending team she was willing to attend sessions voluntarily.

The court gave the girl a year-long referral order.

Presiding magistrate Jane Tidswell said the girl will meet a panel of people who will draw up a contract to stop her behaving in this way again – and, if she breaks the terms of the contract, she can be brought before the court and sentenced in a different way.

Mrs Tidswell told the girl: “The charge of arson is exceptionally serious and I think by your behaviour this morning you have come to realise you could have endangered a lot of lives living in the whole area of the block of flats.”

Deborah Cartwright, prosecuting, said emergency services were called to the flats just after 1am and fire crews put out the blaze. She said the fire took hold quickly. The girl left to go to her mother’s boyfriend’s address and the other young people present decided to wake neighbours.

Solicitor Rachel Stevens said the teenager set the curtains alight after a dare and believed the fire had fizzled out when she left with friends.

Miss Stevens said: “They looked back and the curtains were very much alight. To this moment she is really unable to account for what came over her.”

The court made no order for compensation because of the mother’s limited means.

Repairs to the flat cost £1,595.27.

DUST off your running shoes or bike clips because it’s time to dig deep and raise thousands for good causes in Radar Challenge 3.

A total of nearly £30,000 was raised for a host of charitable causes in the Radar Challenges of 2010 and 2011 with runners, riders and walkers giving half their sponsorship money to their own special cause and donating the rest to charities supported by the organisers.

This year’s Challenge will be held on Sunday, March 18, with four events starting and finishing at Cloot Drove, Crowland.

Events are:

l 3k fun run

l 10k road race organised by Nene Valley Harriers

l 12k cycle ride

l 8k sponsored walk with easy and challenging routes

On behalf of the organisers, Rotarian Steve Colby said: “There is a wonderful community spirit to these events and everyone has great fun.”

Everything you need to enter is available from www.radarchal lenge.org but you can also pick up forms from The Lincolnshire Free Press at Priory House, The Crescent, Spalding, and numerous outlets across the district.

DRAMA students at Spalding High School put their acting skills to the test – and passed with flying colours.

At the beginning of December, 13 girls took their London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) exams, and they have just found out that ten of them gained distinctions and the other three merits.

Teacher Ian Mann said: “This is a really great result for the students and something well worth celebrating.”

The students were required to perform two pieces, one communication based and the other performance.

Mr Mann added: “Some of the students will take the exam as a gateway to university while others take them to enhance confidence and their ability to analyse text.”

LONELY delivery driver Marcin Lis overturned his car into a ditch on Bourne Road, Spalding, when he had too much to drink on the night he went out to see a pal.

Lis (33), of Dozens Bank, West Pinchbeck, has no family in this country and was finding it difficult to cope with the Christmas period, solicitor Rachel Stevens told Spalding magistrates on Thursday.

She said he was feeling very low and went out to speak to somebody, but failed to take account of the alcohol he had drunk earlier in the evening.

Miss Stevens added: “He fully accepts this accident happened because he wasn’t in a fit state to be driving. He is devastated to find himself in this position.”

Rebecca Ritson, prosecuting, said police were called to the accident on the evening of January 8.

The car driven by Lis left the road and travelled 50-75 metres over the grass verge before ending up in a ditch and hedge and turning on to its nearside.

A test later showed he had 73 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – more than double the legal limit of 35mcgs.

Lis pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and was banned from driving for 20 months, fined £100 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £15 victim surcharge.

He can cut five months off the ban if he completes a rehabilitation course.

Presiding magistrate Madge Marshall-Brown said: “We understand that you were not hurt and no one else was hurt, which is good.”

LINCOLNSHIRE Fire and Rescue wants to encourage more women to join its ranks as frontline firefighters.

The emergency service is holding a recruitment event this Saturday to extinguish the myth that only men can do the job.

The event will give women in good health and aged 18 or over the chance to see what it takes to put on the uniform, save lives and protect their communities.

The service’s unique recruitment pod will be available to give would-be firefighters a go at the actual physical tests required. And officers will be on-hand to give advice and answer any questions.

Justyna Kawka, a female retained firefighter from Boston, joined the service in September 2010.

She said: “To any woman who is thinking about becoming a firefighter, I would say ‘go for it’.

“It’s just not true that it’s a men-only career – I’m proof of that. I love the job. It’s challenging, rewarding and exciting. I would recommend it to anyone.

“I’m a great believer that having both men and women in teams really improves the service we offer.”

Karl Foxall, from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue’s recruitment team, said: “Our recruitment event will give you a great feel for working in the fire service.

“We will talk you through the application process and you can have an informal interview to get the ball rolling. You can even have a practice run at the physical tests.

“If you’re looking for an exciting, challenging and rewarding way to serve your local community, please come and see us.”

The recruitment event takes place at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue’s headquarters on South Park in Lincoln, between noon and 4pm this Saturday.

More information about the training process and what it’s like to be a firefighter is available at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/lfr or http://extraordinary.direct.gov.uk

GOOD, old fashioned gravy dinners have been the secret weapon of entrepreneur Kelly Newman, who has grown what was a snack bar to a business delivering more than 100 hot meals a day.

Most of the meals go to elderly people who are either private clients or attend Age UK’s lunch clubs and Kelly (34) says: “The older generation do recognise the quality of proper, home-made meals. It’s just good, old fashioned gravy dinners, and we get everything in as fresh as possible and everything is prepared and cooked fresh each morning.”

Kelly, who trades as A Country Kitchen, was one of three local firms to reach the final round of the Businesses Accelerator campaign promoted by local newspapers all over the country and backed by Prime Minister David Cameron and Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden. Local winners are receiving free advertising with the Spalding Guardian as well as expert mentoring over the same period.

Kelly has adopted the Meals on Wheels model, delivering food to people who would otherwise have to depend on delivered frozen meals or supermarket-ready meals, and giving her customers 13 meal options each day. These range from roast pork with potatoes and vegetables, costing £4.50, to fisherman’s pie from the Gourmet menu, which is £5.50.

Kelly and her mother Cheryl Chapman are partners in A Country Kitchen, which has been going just under 18 months. It was previously based in Donington, where Kelly was living, but she has moved to Spalding with partner Wayne Scholes and children Billy (8) and Charley (5).

She and Cheryl were running a sandwich bar in Donington High Street when the recession began and Kelly realised she would have to come up with a way to improve business. She had noticed that their hot food was particularly popular with older people, and says: “We realised there was a big niche in the market. Frozen meals or supermarket-ready meals serve a purpose, but they are not hot and they are not freshly cooked and that is the big difference in the quality of what we do.”

Starting off with five clients, the business quickly grew to over 100 and Kelly gained a contract with Age UK to deliver meals to lunch clubs three times a week. Meals are now being delivered to dozens of villages in the district, and as far away as Boston and King’s Lynn, with referrals coming from personal recommendations as well as a result of the good relationship the pair have established with social services and local hospitals.

After six months in Donington, the women realised they needed larger premises, and they now operate from a unit at the University of Lincoln Holbeach Campus. Elaine Inkley has joined the staff to help with the preparation of vegetables, grown in Donington by her husband Jim and his brother Paul at Inkleys Farm.

Kelly says of the move to Holbeach: “It was a magnificent opportunity and we have the capability in these kitchens to produce over 400 meals a day, so we have a lot of potential for growth.”

The company can deliver a tea time snack at the same time as hot meals and the five delivery staff will dish out and cut up meals for people with disabilities. In some cases, they are the only faces the elderly people see in a day and Kelly says drivers have occasionally identified a problem, such as a strong smell of gas.

Kelly adds: “We have worked very hard and we know this is a business that can only grow. It is not a fad. Everyone needs food and with the cut-backs everyone is having to fend for themselves.”

Meals can be ordered as little or often as people would like, and Kelly is encouraging new customers with a special offer on the first order – a two-course hot lunch delivered for just £2.50.

Contact Kelly on 07979 500162 or email her at kellynewman@btinternet.com

IF DAISY Ivatt never feels like a princess in her life ever again, at least she can look back to her term of office as Flower Queen and know she had a year of being treated like royalty.

“It’s been hectic and crazy, but I have really loved it,” says 24-year-old Daisy, who will soon be handing over the mantle to a successor, due to be chosen and crowned at a reception at Ayscoughfee Hall in Spalding next month.

“It’s been such an eye-opener and I have met loads of different people,” added the head of drama at the Sir John Gleed School. “I have really felt I have had the chance to get out into the community and hear what people are interested in and what they wanted to see at the parade. A lot of people miss the carnival atmosphere that the youth theatre group Centre Stage used to add to the parade.”

Daisy has many fond memories, in particular of Flower Parade day and the Pumpkin Parade, when she rode through the streets in a carriage. She recalls turning in her seat and seeing “hundreds of people carrying lights and singing”, a memory that will stay with her a long time.

Above all, Daisy says it has been enjoyable to mix with people of all ages in the community and, as she puts it, “share people’s best days with them”.

Daisy says: “The fact you are there really brightens people’s day. I think that’s an important part of the role, trying to brighten up the lives of people that might not have such a happy time.

“I think if you don’t do that you have wasted it. You have got it for a year, so you may as well brighten people’s days up.”

However, Daisy admits it has also been lovely to have the excuse to enjoy a bit of glamour for a year, not something she does normally. Her sister Amy has been her chief stylist, and occasionally accompanied Daisy to events when boyfriend Marcus Drury has been unavailable.

“Everyone has been really supportive around me, which has been nice,” says Daisy. “It’s been nice to feel like a princess, especially on parade day when it’s all about getting dressed up and glamorous.”

She feels she has many people to thank, such as the Rotary Club, which she says has supported many of the events she attended, and Jan Whitbourn of Tulip Radio, who Daisy says has been “a happy, friendly face” through the year. She had thanks too for family, friends, parade organisers Kenyon Communications and these newspapers.

The only sad point of the year was the death of Daisy’s grandfather, Eric Ivatt, the man responsible for Daisy’s entry in the Flower Queen contest in the first place.

Daisy admitted: “I have mixed feelings about handing over the title. I am looking forward to a bit of a rest because you are out most weekends, so it’s busier than people realise. But in another way it is sad to give it up because it’s been my special thing for a year and suddenly you have to pass it on to someone else. I am excited to see who is going to be my successor.”

However, Daisy has much to occupy her time and look forward to, including a new production of High School Musical in June by a cast of 40 to 60, to celebrate the opening of the Sir John Gleed School, as well as doing up the house she and Marcus have bought in Donington. There is another important date in her diary – parade day on Saturday, May 5 – when another Flower Queen will feel like a princess... for one year only.