Hello and welcome to my first monthly column for the Lincolnshire Free Press.

My intention is to provide useful and current and informative information on health, beauty and wellbeing issues.

I would welcome any questions you might have, and if I cannot answer it I have a team of very well qualified therapists and practitioners who I can ask to provide you with an answer.

Let me start by introducing myself.

As a physiotherapist I have been qualified over 25 years and have specialised in problems relating to the skeleton and nerves and muscles.

In particular I work with spinal problems and their treatment, not just from a physiotherapy perspective but also injections and surgery.

This means I get to see X-rays and MRI scans as part of my work on a regular basis, and talk to patients about having surgery on their spine.

As a rule we arrange MRI scans not so much to tell us if a patient needs an operation, the reason people have back surgery should be because their pain is so disabling they cannot manage it and they have tried every thing they can to treat it.

The MRI scan doesn’t show us how bad your pain is, only what part is affected and whether surgery might even be feasible if the patient decides they cannot cope.

Sometimes patients have a normal scan, that doesn’t mean we don’t believe they have pain, just that they need pain management not a surgeons knife.

Next time I am going to talk about fibromyalgia.

Intruders broke into a pair of homes in Gedney Hill within two weeks, although it is unclear whether any items were taken.

The most recent break-in took place at a house in North Road some time between 9pm last Thursday and 8.30am last Friday.

This came after a break-in at a house in Lincolns Avenue some time between 5pm on Wednesday August 28 and 6pm on Monday September 2.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

Police are trying to trace farming equipment stolen from an area of Long Sutton.

A JCB telehandler was stolen from Moorswood Gate some time between 10pm on Monday September 2 and 7am on Tuesday September 3.

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

A man was taken to hospital with a broken wrist and head injuries after a two-vehicle collision in Moulton Seas End.

It involved a Scania HGV lorry which collided with a parked Seat Inca van on Roman Bank, outside Brian Naylor Cabbages near Pipwell Gate.

The injured man, a van driver (30) from Moulton Seas End, was taken to Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, and the road was closed in both directions at the junction with Seas End Road.

Voting is now open for all categories in the 2013 East Midlands Food and Drink Awards – but it’s not too late to still nominate either.

Lots of South Holland establishments have been put forward already in the Wash/Fens section.

The category winners in this regional section will then go forward to compete against champions from Lindsey, Kesteven and Melton/Rutland for the overall prizes.

Already nominated are:

Best Community Pub: The Bull Inn, Fleet Hargate.

Best Dining Pub: The Golden Lion, Moulton Seas End; The Mermaid Inn, Surfleet; The Wheatsheaf, Moulton Chapel; Ye Olde Red Lion, Bicker.

Best Customer Service: Bentley’s Bar and Restaurant, Spalding; Concreation Garden Centre and coffee shop, Swineshead; Crystal Inn, Spalding; Gurkha Oven, Spalding; Indus Indian Restaurant, Spalding; The Mermaid Inn, Surfleet; The Play Barn, Springfields, Spalding; Supreme Inn, Bicker.

Best Family Friendly Venue: The Bull Inn, Fleet Hargate; The Play Barn, Springfields, Spalding.

Best Fish and Chips: Jack’s Fish Bar, Spalding.

Best Hotel Meal: Supreme Inn, Bicker Bar.

Best Indian: Chameli, Holbeach; Spice Cottage, Whaplode; Gurkha Oven, Spalding; Indus Indian Restaurant, Spalding; The Curry Inn, Quadring; Tulip Tandoori Restaurant, Spalding.

Best Oriental: Shanghai Garden, Spalding; Crystal Inn, Spalding.

Best Newcomer: Gurkha Oven, Spalding; Ye Olde Red Lion, Bicker.

Best Sunday Roast/Lunch: Bentley’s Bar and Restaurant, Spalding; Golden Lion, Moulton Seas End; Supreme Inn, Bicker; The Bull Inn, Fleet Hargate; Tulip Tandoori Restaurant, Spalding.

Best Tea Room or Cafe: Cafe Moda, Beales Department Store, Spalding; Concreation Garden Centre and coffee shop, Swineshead; The Loft, Spalding; Taylor’s Coffee House, Spalding; The Old Copper Kettle Teashop, Crowland.

One category without votes at the moment is: Best Regional Product.

Votes can be cast by going into the establishment listed or on line at: www.east midlandsnewspapers.co.uk/events/food-and-drink/

The awards are open to anyone who runs a local business, is a customer or member of staff.

You can nominate by email, phone, text or online.

The regional category winners will be announced at the end of October and voting will then re-open for the overall winners.

Details on which towns/villages fall within each area can be found at bit.ly./emfdawards

Email your nominations to linda.pritchard@jpress.co.uk Please include the category and name of the establishment, followed by the town or village.

Or you can call her on 01476 562291, nominate online at bit.ly./emfdawards, where there are also details of how to text nominate.

Locked gates at a Spalding playing field could be opened up – at least some of the time – to allow the public to use it, according to a community group.

Spalding Community Campaign, set up in a bid to protect the future of the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field, says the trustees have been advised to consider opening up the whole or part of the field on specific days or over a specific period for “informal recreation activities”.

Designated areas could then be made available for public use to protect other areas, such as football pitches, which could be damaged.

The advice has come from the Charities Commission, which was called in to investigate claims by the community group that the trustees were acting in breach of the trust deed by preventing people from using the park.

Currently the gates are locked and the field is used as the home ground of Spalding United Football Club.

Spalding Community Group’s website has published excerpts from the Charity Commission’s investigation on its website after rumours circulated that a decision had been reached that allowed the field to continue being used for sport only – as it is now.

The website says: “Spalding Community Campaign can now confirm, after having directly asked the Charity Commission, that this information is incorrect.”

It states that the advice was sent to South Holland District Council, which acts as the field’s trustees, on August 8 and a response had not been received.

But a spokesman for the council said a meeting is due to be held today with representatives of the Charity Commission.

He said: “The district council continues to work closely with the Charities Commission over the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field.

“A meeting involving council officers and members is scheduled for today to discuss the issue further.

“Meanwhile, there is currently no change to the operation of the site.”

A 26-year-old man from Spalding is due to appear at court today in connection with a robbery near a town cycle shop.

Shane Osbourne of St Thomas Road faces a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court after being charged with a robbery on Winsover Road in May.

The closure threatened Royal British Legion Social Club in Sutton Bridge has won a reprieve with Legion bosses in London backing down on an order to shut up shop.

Events are going ahead as usual, but the club faces another inspection of its accounts before it is in the clear.

The Legion in London ordered the club to close its doors on August 31, citing outstanding debts, but the club said headquarters failed to note an upturn in its fortunes.

Club secretary and treasurer Karen Treacher said committee members are now urging people in Sutton Bridge to support the club so it is not lost.

She said the change of heart came after a meeting with Royal British Legion (RBL) representatives on September 3.

Ms Treacher said: “The committee would like to express their thanks to the members of the club, the hundreds of people who signed the petitions, parish councillor Mrs Vicky Hills and in particular parish councillor Mrs Jenny Rowe for facilitating the meeting and parish councillor Mrs Shirley Giles for attending the meeting and voicing her concerns.”

The committee thanked three local businesses for supporting the club through “thick and thin” and said it would have closed without their help.

Join in Heritage Open Days 2013 and visit an historic building

Heritage Open Days 2013 takes place from today until Sunday and is a chance to discover and celebrate our past.

A number of local historic buildings are being opened to the public free of charge during this year’s four-day festival on the theme of Material Matters.

Visit one or two to appreciate the wide and diverse nature of south Lincolnshire’s historic buildings.

In addition to the sites featured on these pages, Chain Bridge Forge at Spalding will be hosting a number of events, including blacksmithing demonstrations and free taster sessions and stained glass window demonstrations.

The new Heritage Walks leaflet offers leisurely strolls along the River Welland or around the old town of Spalding.

There will be a number of child-friendly activities including quizzes, crafts and the chance to dress up as a 19th century blacksmith.

The forge, on High Street, is open on Friday from 10am to 3pm and on Sunday from 12noon to 4pm.

Another Spalding venue with historic interest is the Gordon Boswell Romany Museum, which houses historic collections of Romany caravans, carts, harnesses and more.

The museum will be open as part of the Heritage Open Days on Friday from 10.30am to 4pm.

• Sneath’s Mill Trust is opening the mill at Lutton Gowts on Sunday (10am to 4pm) to give visitors a chance to see the progress being made in restoring the Grade 1 listed building. Sneath’s Mill is probably Lincolnshire’s oldest standing windmill and has been unused since the 1930s.

Pictured are David Clownes, Graham Warrender, Jim Conlay, Kay Jenkinson and Bobbie Ashton at the mill.

• Discover Holbeach’s Victorian cemetery chapels in Park Road on Sunday (11am to 4pm) and hear how a local group is hoping to get funding to refurbish and restore them. In addition, the community arts project Transported will have a presence, there will be craft work on display from local primary schools, a walking trail, and Laddies’ ice creams and light refreshments will be available.

• Take a guided tour of the atmospheric Crowland Abbey and its ruined nave on Saturday (10am to 4pm) and Sunday (1pm to 4pm).

The parish church has a fascinating history. A monk named Guthlac arrived in what was an uninhabited island in the Fens in around 701 in order to live the life of a hermit monk. Following his footsteps, other monks made Croyland their home and a monastic community came into being – until 1539.

Refreshments will also be available during the open days.

• Ever wondered how such a low lying area is protected from flooding? Now is your chance to find out because Welland and Deepings Internal Drainage Board is opening its Pode Hole pumping stations to the public on Friday (10am to 4pm). The Board’s Pinchbeck Engine Museum of land drainage at Pinchbeck will also be open at the same time for those who want to find out about the history of drainage and reclamation since medieval times.

• Lutton St Nicholas Church is participating in the heritage event on Saturday (12noon to 5pm) when there will be demonstrations of bell ringing, as well as quilting, flower arranging and afternoon teas.

Tower captain Peter Butler and churchwardens Bernice Williams and Pat Saxton are pictured in the bell tower.

• The Market House at Long Sutton is participating in Heritage Open Days with a number of events on Saturday and Sunday (10am to 4pm). Long Sutton & District Civic Society will be displaying the Sutton Bridge Past & Present Exhibition shown in Sutton Bridge earlier in the year. At the same time, The Market House Photographic Group will hold its annual exhibition and display entries for the Historic Lincolnshire Competition. In addition, there will be a baby portrait studio, refreshments and more. Wendy Jeffries, Tony Button and Fay Archer are pictured at the Kenzie Thorpe display in May.

• Spalding Gentlemen’s Society Museum in Spalding isn’t normally open to the public so Saturday (10am to 4pm) is a rare chance to see its varied and interesting exhibits. These range from hatpins to firearms, books to cameras, beautiful glassware and fine ceramics to medals, coins and stamps. After visiting you may be tempted to become a member or hear lectures held at Spalding Grammar School from October to March.

• A tour of St Mary & St Nicolas Parish Church in Spalding is planned for Saturday (10.30am) as part of Heritage Open Days 2013.

The tour will be led by the Rev John Bennett, who will highlight the rich materials in the church, its medieval stonework, carved woodwork and Victorian and 20th century stained glass.

The tower will also be open from 10am to 4pm and there are some great views to be had on a clear day, and refreshments will be served.

• St Peter and St Paul’s Church at Algarkirk is currently in the middle of a major refurbishment project.

However, it will be open on Saturday (10am to 4pm) for a scaled down open day so people can see what is planned for the beautiful building.

• Further afield, at Dowsby, just a few miles north of Bourne, Dowsby Hall is open for free guided tours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (bookable in advance on 01529 461499).

As well as looking around the 1610 hall, visitors are able to stroll around the gardens, have tea and cakes and listen to Kafka, Dowsby’s own blues band.

• Finally, it’s Ride & Stride day on Saturday (10am to 6pm) when people cycle or walk between churches to raise money for a local church and the Lincolnshire Churches Trust.

Blood was coming from a woman’s nose and her eyes were swollen and bruised after her husband slapped and punched her as they walked home from a Christening party.

Sebastian Kmiecik and his wife Wioleta went to the party in Marshlands Drive, Holbeach, on July 27 and started walking home shortly before 11pm.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said both had been drinking but others at the party described the husband as being “somewhat heavily in drink”.

On the way home, Kmiecik became abusive to his wife, but she tried to calm him by telling him that she loved him.

He then became aggressive and began to slap and punch her.

Mr Clare said Mrs Kmiecik tried to escape to a nearby house, but the husband grabbed her and pulled her away.

She finally managed to get away and sought help from a woman resident who called police.

While police were investigating, Kmiecik went back to the party, where there was another incident of violence.

Mr Clare said a neighbour called police to say there were about five or six people fighting at that location.

Police interviewed Kmiecik, who described his relationship with his wife as very good unless he had been drinking.

Kmiecik couldn’t recall what happened, but was shown photographs of his wife’s injuries.

Mr Clare told the court: “He was described as very upset when shown the injury photographs of his wife by the police officers and accepts that if his wife says it happened in that particular way, that is how it happened.

“He said ‘alcohol absolutely blinded me’.”

Kmiecik (31), of Park Gardens, Holbeach, pleaded guilty to assault at a previous hearing and was in court on Thursday for sentence.

He was given a year-long community order with supervision and must do 80 hours’ unpaid work.

Kmiecik was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Solicitor Mike Alexander, mitigating, said: “Mr Kmiecik simply wishes me to say to the court his behaviour on that particular occasion was appalling.”

He said the couple have resumed their relationship, but his wife says “we are over” if there is a repeat incident.

Mr Alexander said: “His only goal is to make sure he can look after his wife and his children. He doesn’t want to drink any more. He has stopped drinking completely.

“He recognises drink was at least one of the causes of what happened on this particular occasion.”

Presiding magistrate Peter Dolby said the bench agreed the incident was appalling.

A driver having a “panic attack” fled from police on blue lights, drove onto a pavement to avoid a ‘stinger’ and ran from officers after leaving his Rover Metro in a wheat field.

Provisional licence holder Alexander Giddins (26) nipped to Tesco in Holbeach to buy groceries, but police were tipped-off that he may not have insurance or a driving licence.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said police put on their car’s blue lights, but Giddins headed off along Boston Road North, going off-road and along dirt tracks to get away.

Police deployed a stinger – a device that can stop cars – but Giddins drove on the pavement.

He eventually drove into a wheat field and ran off, but was soon caught.

Mr Clare said police did not consider Giddins’ driving dangerous – as he travelled at speeds between 15-55mph – so there was no charge concerning that.

Giddins, of Keightley Road, Holbeach, was banned from driving for six months, fined £145 with eight points for having no insurance, and received no separate penalties for failing to stop for police and driving without a valid licence. He must pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

Keightley, who already had 15 points on his licence, pleaded guilty to the three offences.

Solicitor Mike Alexander, mitigating, said Giddins had “a classic panic attack from not knowing what to do”.

A boss tried to save his own failing business by stealing top of the range barbecues from the company next door and selling them on eBay.

But Thomas Smith – who stole barbecues worth nearly £8,0000 – was rumbled on May 22 when the boss of Garden XL, Igor Vasiliadi, arrived at his warehouse at 5.45am and saw torchlight.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said there was an “always locked door” separating Garden XL and Smith’s Maxitrade.

Mr Vasiliadi noticed a barbecue was out of place, heard a noise from the far side of the adjoining door and went round to speak to Smith.

Mr Clare said Mr Vasiliadi described Smith as “shaky and nervous” when he asked him if he had seen anything suspicious.

Two days later Mr Vasiliadi not only did a stock check but received a phone call from a customer cancelling a barbecue order because he had found the same thing £40 cheaper on eBay.

Checks were made and the eBay seller was Maxitrade.

Mr Clare said 26 barbecues worth a total of £7,924 were stolen.

Garden XL reported the thefts to police and also contacted a logistics company, which confirmed it had handled three or four parcels containing barbecues on behalf of Maxitrade.

Police checked Maxitrade’s eBay sales and 14 customers provided serial numbers for their barbecues which matched those originally delivered to Garden XL.

Another customer reported buying a barbecue from Maxitrade when “a man called Tom” got it out of his vehicle rather than his business premises.

Mr Clare said Smith had a key to the “always locked door” and a second door linking the two business premises.

Smith (48), of Kimblewick Lane, Spalding, pleaded guilty to burglary and theft on dates between April 30 and May 25 this year.

Magistrates sitting at Grantham on Thursday decided their powers were insufficient to deal with the case and sent Smith to Lincoln Crown Court to be sentenced.

Magistrates heard Smith will also face proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act at the higher court.

Solicitor Giles Tyas, for Smith, told the court: “He committed this offence in a somewhat misguided attempt to keep his business going.

“He previously owned a business that had gone bankrupt and it was not something that he wanted to go through again.”

He said Smith is now working in a factory on the minimum wage and doesn’t believe his family will be able to survive if he is sent to prison.

Presiding magistrate Peter Dolby said the case is going to the crown court because of the “level of planning” and length of time involved in committing the offence.

The Volkswagen Golf is back for its seventh go around and it’s a formula that’s tried, tested and popular with British buyers.

This latest car feature a chassis with a choice of two rear suspension set ups, and a brilliant 1.4 TSI petrol engine that can run on just two cylinders when required.

Get under the skin of this latest Golf and you’ll find a chassis that’s a lot stiffer and is almost infinitely customisable.

Interior refinement has improved enormously, with very little road noise filtering back into the cabin. Tyre noise and engine sounds have also been muted to the sort of level you’d have expected from a Phateon limousine not so long ago.

There are a number of engines to choose from, the petrol units comprising a four-cylinder 1.2-litre TSI unit producing 85 PS, a 1.2-litre TSI with 105 PS, a 1.4-litre TSI 122 PS motor and the very clever 1.4-litre TSI 140 PS engine with Active Cylinder Technology.

This powerplant can deactivate the central two cylinders under modest throttle loads in order to improve economy.

The two diesel engines offered are a 1.6-litre TDI 105 PS and a 2.0-litre TDI 150 PS unit. Both are four cylinder units that feature common rail diesel technology for power and efficiency.

The Volkswagen Golf Mk 7 is an interesting vehicle and it’s not always quite as up-front as you expect.

The lower specification torsion-beam suspension that’s fitted to less powerful models is certainly a step backwards but it’s one that many buyers shopping through the lower order trim levels won’t care very much about.

In most other areas, the Golf forges inexorably onwards.

Less weight and more space is always a good combination and a number of efficiency measures have brought the petrol engines, especially the excellent 1.4 TSI with Active Cylinder Technology, back into sharp relevance.

The styling is evolutionary but includes a number of interesting details, cabin quality is well up to par and residual values look promising.

In short it’s a Golf. A more polished, smarter Golf, but still a Golf. Reassuringly so.

The warm summer months might be over, but the abundant wild berries, plentiful apples, and juicy tomatoes they helped create can make it feel like the sun is still shining.

It’s unlikely keen gardeners can manage to eat all this bumper produce immediately though, which is where the art of storage comes in.

Main crop potatoes and onions will keep well in a cool shed or garage, while garlic should be placed in a cool room in the house. All three should be free of soil and perfectly dry before storing. Onions and garlic can be strung and hung up, while potatoes will be quite happy in paper or a hessian sack, kept in the dark to stop them from sprouting.

If you have blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries, these are perfect for jams, partly because they contain plenty of pectin, the ingredient that makes jam set.

If you have too many ripe tomatoes, try drying them in the oven, placing them on a tray at the lowest setting for several hours with the oven door just ajar. Alternatively, skin them by placing them in a bowl of just boiled water, leaving them there for a few minutes, then removing the skin and blitzing them into a puree which can be a base for any Italian passata, which can be frozen. Unripe tomatoes can also be transformed into delicious green tomato chutney.

Peas and green beans should be blanched before freezing, while courgettes freeze satisfactorily in prepared dishes such as ratatouille.

Root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, beetroot and celeriac can generally be left in the ground until required, although try to dig a few up to store in a cool place before winter sets in.

To store gluts of apples and pears, you’ll need to handle them carefully, placing them in a room with a low, even temperature, good ventilation and a moist atmosphere such as a cellar. If you are putting apples in your garden shed, wrap them in newspaper, put them in boxes, stack them in a cool spot under insulation and cover with polythene.

Check them regularly and remove any which have rotted.

A game of two halves: the popular phrase used by those who comment on football matches certainly applies to farming over the last year.

Autumn 2012 saw some of the worst conditions for establishing crops we have seen in recent history and hence some very poor, late crops with apparently low yield potential. But what a difference is made when the sun is “switched on”.

Even after a late, slow cold spring the summer sun of 2013 has made the best of what crop potential we had and although most fields did not break records the yields were certainly above my predictions made in February.

I had better not shout too loudly as we still have spring beans and spring oilseed rape to harvest, both crops that replaced failed winter oilseed.

With spring rape I have made one mistake in the choice of chemical used to desiccate. I treated it the same as the winter crop, not appreciating the speed with which it matures. So we are waiting for the weeds to die and dry before we can set the combine to work, and the stark change in the weather is no help.

This highlights the problem with increasing the proportion of spring crops grown on the farm. Later harvesting leads to later establishment of the next crop and we enter a cycle of lateness which can be difficult to break. Lessons learnt from the last 12 months: be flexible, reduce risk, but don’t lose sight of profitability.

Police have released CCTV images of suspects they wish to trace in connection with two thefts at a Spalding shop.

Officers are keen to speak to two men who they believe may be able to assist with an enquiry into the theft of beer from the Tesco Express in Matmore Gate at around 8.45pm on Monday.

Twelve cans of Stella Artois were taken.

Anyone with information should contact PC Alastair Pullen by dialling 101 and quoting the incident number 441.

Spalding police are also investigating an earlier incident at the same Tesco Express, which happened on Bank Holiday Monday, August 26, also at around 3pm.

CCTV shows a man officers wish to trace in connection with the theft of several boxes of chocolate.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact PC Andy Bednell on 101 and quote incident number 269.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 with information or to report a crime.

Adrian Briddon, from Sutton Bridge Crop Storage Research, spoke to farmers at the East of England Potato Day.

More than 140 potato growers, advisors and agronomists assembled for the Potato Council’s event, part sponsored by QV Foods of Holbeach Hurn.

The day involved technical presentations followed by machinery and plot demonstrations.

Adrian kicked off the presentation sessions with a talk about Chlorpropham (or CIPC), widely used as a sprout suppressing agrochemical applied to stored potatoes.

He spoke about lessons learnt from CIPC exceedances and how to achieve best practice for the 2013 season.

He told delegates: “CIPC labels are changing and we know that the maximum total dose rate per season will be reduced to 36g/tonne.

“It’s vital to get CIPC on early. It needs to be within three weeks of harvest. This gives the best chance of controlling sprout growth with the least amount of CIPC.”

Farmers combined more in the week to September 3 than in any week of harvest during the past five years.

That’s according to the latest HGCA/ADAS report which states that combines cut 1.3million ha of crops over the week.

That includes 45 per cent of the UK’s wheat area and almost 40 per cent of the spring barley.

The report said almost 80 per cent of all combinable crops had been harvested at that point, in line with the five-year average.

With 85 per cent of winter wheat in the barn, yields were estimated at 7.6-7.7t/ha and 5.5-5.7t/ha for spring barley (at 70 per cent cleared).

Produce World, which has a site in Sutton Bridge, is trialling red varieties of Brussels sprout.

The business, which hopes this will encourage children to eat the vegetable, is also developing stronger tasting versions to appeal to the sprout traditionalist. Milder tasting sprouts are also being trialled.

If all goes well, they should be on sale in supermarkets by 2014.

A scheme to convert South Holland District Council’s street lighting and make 58 per cent savings on energy costs is under way.

Its maintenance contractor – E.ON Highways Lighting at Sleaford – has identified a convertor tray that can be installed inside existing street lighting lanterns.

It replaces the old 35 watt sodium lamps and control gear with new 24 watt PL lamps and gives a whiter light as well as making substantial energy savings at a minimum cost outlay.

This also saves costs on the district council’s capital investments by reusing existing fittings while reducing its carbon footprint.

There are about 2,000 street lights for which South Holland District Council is responsible. More than half of the 1,309 which can be converted have been done so far.