A mother of three was banned from driving for 19 months after police found her to be more than double the drink-drive limit.

Agnieszka Gorajska (27), of Flaxmill Lane, Pinchbeck, was going home from a party and seen driving a VW Passat at 3.30am on Sunday, August 10 in Boston’s Liquorpond Street.

Nick Todd, prosecuting, told Boston magistrates: “The reason for the stop was she was driving slowly and her lights weren’t on.”

He said a test revealed she had 75 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – the legal limit is 35mcgs.

Gorajska, who pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol, was also fined £110 and ordered to pay a £20 victim surcharge.

Magistrates offered her the chance to cut the ban by four months if she undertakes a drink-drive rehabilitation course at her own expense.

Solicitor Daven Naghen, for Gorajska, said someone else was supposed to give her a lift home from the party, but that person left without her and “effectively she could see no other option” as she needed to get home to look after her children as her former partner had to go to work.

Mr Naghen said: “She accepts that she could have resolved it in other ways.

“She recognises that driving whilst over the limit carries some risks although she was doing her best to mitigate those risks by going extremely slowly.”

Mr Naghen said Gorajska had recently split from her partner and that was the reason she was drinking that night.

He said: “She is by no means a regular drinker.”

Overnight resurfacing will take place on the A17 at Whaplode Manor/Saracen’s Head between September 17 and 29.

The work will take place between 7pm and 5am and the road will remain open throughout, with two/three-way temporary traffic lights in place. A convoy system will also be used to guide traffic.

Washway Road in Saracen’s Head will be closed for two nights when work is taking place at the junction between Washway Road and the A17. A signed diversion will be in place via Washway Road, Boston Road North, A17 and vice versa.

Roman Mastakov, project officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “This section of the road is deteriorating rapidly and is in need of repair so we’ll reconstruct the road, which should last more than 10 years. It’s a busy route so we’ll just work throughout the night and reopen the road during the daytime in order to minimise disruption.

“For more information on this, or any road works taking place in Lincolnshire, visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/roadworks”

Campaigners battling to save Lincolnshire’s libraries are calling on the county council to reverse a cut in their opening hours.

A council cost-cutting decision to hand more than 30 libraries to volunteer operators – and keep just 15 in its own hands – was quashed in the High Court in July.

But Save Lincolnshire Libraries say libraries across the county have been operating with reduced opening times since April.

Campaign spokesman Julie Harrison wants to know why the council hasn’t restored full opening times using cash from last year’s £41million under spend.

She said: “This would be a clear indication that the council has recognised it made the wrong decision.

“For a year or so Coun Nick Worth (executive member for libraries) kept repeating that everything was fine and dandy about his plan. It wasn’t – and we need to be sure the council has understood that.”

But Coun Worth told the Spalding Guardian that library opening times are going to stay at the reduced level.

He said: “We have got £1.7million to save and the only way we can make the saving is by keeping the hours as they are now.

“We are already up to £800,000 in the current year that we have saved.”

The High Court quashed the council’s decision on libraries on the grounds that the consultation was unlawful and said it had failed to properly look at an expression of interest to run the service by a not for profit organisation, Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL).

The council begins a new public consultation next month and is having further talks with GLL.

Coun Worth revealed last week the library service could be put out to competition under the Community Right to Challenge Scheme, which means a private company could end up running all of Lincolnshire’s libraries.

Ms Harrison said: “Our main aim has always been to keep the libraries staffed and open.”

A former student at Sir John Gleed School in Spalding has achieved a 2.1 honours degree in Dance and Professional Practice in spite of three hip operations during her studies.


Jess Coleman (21) studied at the University of Bedfordshire and also attended Woolram Wygate Primary School before her time at Sir John Gleed School.
She is the daughter of Heather and Paul Coleman of Elmtree House, Weston. Proud Heather said: “Jess worked at Baytree while completing her studies and also had three lots of invasive hip surgery during her degree, which makes it all the more brilliant she has gained a strong 2.1 BA Hons.”
Jess has now accepted a place to study for a masters degree in dance at the university.

Elizabeth Howard graduated from the University of Bedfordshire on Wednesday, July 23 with a 2:1 BSc Honours in Computer Graphics.


Elizabeth is a former student of the Robert Manning College (now Bourne Academy).

UPDATE WEDNESDAY 9.15AM: A 30-year-old man has died after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a tractor on the A52 in Donington.

It happened near the Donington and Bicker Bar roundabouts where a Ducati motorcycle and green Claas tractor were in collision at about 4.10pm yesterday.

The motorcyclist from Leicester was pronounced dead at the scene, bringing the number of deaths on Lincolnshire’s roads so far this year to 20.

The tractor driver was unhurt and the road was closed for a number of hours to allow accident investigators to work at the scene.

Anyone who saw the collision should call the Collision Witness Hotline on 01522 558855.

TUESDAY 6.30PM: A crash involving a tractor and motorbike has led to a section of the A52 in Donington being closed today.

The crash happened at about 4.10pm and the A52 at both Donington and Bicker Bar roundabouts looks set to be closed for some hours.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman described the crash as “very serious” and motorists are being asked to avoid the area.

Anyone who saw the crash should call the Collision Witness Hotline on 01522 558855.

A teenage girl who concealed her pregnancy from her family and friends went on to suffocate her baby boy moments after giving birth to him, a court was told yesterday (Monday).

The 16-year-old stuffed a tissue into the tiny baby’s mouth as soon as he produced his first sound, causing him to choke to death.

Lincoln Crown Court was told that the girl went into denial after discovering she was pregnant following a brief relationship with a boy.

She even managed to hide her pregnancy from her own GP and told family and friends she was stressed from the pressure of taking her GCSE exams.

Sally Howes, QC, said the girl gave birth on her own in the bedroom of her home in a village near Bourne.

Miss Howes said: “She cut the umbilical cord with a pair of scissors and placed the baby in a hoodie.

“As the baby drew its first breath and gurgled she pushed a tissue, which she had screwed up into a ball, into his mouth and down into his throat. This blocked his airway. His first breath was to be his last breath.”

The girl told family members that she had suffered a heavy period and because of the amount of blood in the bathroom her mother contacted the NHS 101 helpline.

An ambulance was called to the family’s home and the girl was taken to hospital in Peterborough. It was only after she left for the hospital that her brother and stepfather found the lifeless body of the baby hidden inside a carrier bag. A post mortem examination concluded that the baby died from asphyxia caused by a blockage of the upper airway.

The girl later confessed to a psychiatrist, saying that events seemed unreal and she felt confused after giving birth but did not feel she had anyone she could turn to for help.

And doctors who later examined the teenager concluded that she had been so badly affected by giving birth that the balance of her mind was disturbed.

The girl, who is now 17, admitted a charge of infanticide following the death of the boy on September 4, 2013. She was given a two-year youth rehabilitation order with supervision.

She denied a further charge of perverting the course of justice by making a false complaint of rape against the baby’s father. That matter was left to lie on the file after the prosecution chose not to pursue the matter.

Mrs Justice Thirlwall told her: “You realised you were pregnant. For months you denied it to yourself. You denied it to your mother and you denied it to your GP.

“While studying for your GCSEs you must have been in turmoil about what was going to happen. In the end you couldn’t cope. You closed your eyes to the inevitable. By the time the baby was due you were in complete denial.

“Even now you find it difficult to believe you killed him.”

In mitigation, Karim Khalil QC described the incident as a very sad case.

He said she had detached herself from reality during a traumatic time.

The BBC recently screened a wonderful documentary about one of my favourite poets, Sir John Betjeman.

It showed footage of Betjeman making a passionate case to save, from destructive, ignorant post-war planners, the impressive arch that then stood in front of London’s Euston Station.

That campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, but his subsequent efforts to save nearby St Pancras station

triumphed and, consequently, we can still enjoy William Barlow’s station and George Gilbert Scott’s neo-gothic hotel.

Sir John would undoubtedly join the efforts to save the historic signal box in Deeping St James, a much loved village landmark.

The campaign to save this part of our local heritage – at the gateway to the village on the road to Crowland –

deserves the full support which I’ve given it.

Indeed the St James Deeping signal box, dating from the mid-1800s, reminds us that buildings form an important part of all our lives by providing a powerful, palpable link to our communal past.

Sadly, as Sir John knew only too well, buildings can be ugly as well as beautiful. So, the vision of a better-built Britain is not only what we can save, but also about recapturing ground from those who seem determined to construct ubiquitous blandness.

In the 1960s and 1970s our former poet laureate was a lonely voice warning against the awful damage done by urban planners intent on erecting soulless structures like the façade of the characterless Superdrug store in Spalding which local councillors have wisely criticised.

Elegant buildings can bring joy as they make us proud of where we live. Conversely poorly designed buildings are a source of dreariness. The Carbuncle Cup – awarded annually to Britain’s worst new building – provides a powerful warning against the ugliness of much modern architecture.

This year’s winner, a hideous new Tesco centre in Woolwich, is of a scale wholly out of proportion to its location.

Some pretend to be oblivious to the character of places in which they live, or even argue that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ – a phrase, by the way, only ever used in defence of ugliness.

Yet as the built environment has a direct day-to-day impact on all of us, why not work for it to be elevating, charming and impressive?

As Winston Churchill once said: “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

The built environment, in the words of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, “must be inspired by tradition and the laws of nature”, so bringing joy to us all.

John Hayes MP

By Vetsavers of St Thomas’ Road, Spalding

Many readers know that I recently had surgery on my hip and, by the time you are reading this, I will be seven days into my recovery.

Whilst I absolutely hate being inactive and unable to do the job that I live for, I can say that spending time with my dog Murphy is wonderful.

And this is the focus of my column this week – we all know how much we love our furry family additions, but not until now did I actually realise how therapeutic they are for us when getting over major surgery. It’s as if they know that we are fragile and, when trying to negotiate with crutches around the home, they know not to be under our feet.

Murphy has not left my side since I returned home from hospital and it’s clear he senses my predicament.

So, my much-loved pet is also so smart! Which makes me think how amazing the dogs are that are trained for deaf and blind people.

If I’m honest I never gave them much thought, other than total admiration.

So I did some research on how these amazing animals are selected – and want to share it with you.

So, how do you make a guide dog?

It doesn’t happen overnight. And it takes patience, time, and money. Did you know, for instance, that each guide dog partnership involves 20 months of training, seven years of support – and costs around £50,000?

Here are two interesting features of guide dog puppy training:

Negotiating obstacles

The dogs are introduced to obstacles gradually, and taught how to navigate their way round. It can take a while, but when the dogs get it right, the trainer gives them lots of encouragement.

They can’t check the traffic lights!

It’s a popular misconception that a guide dog will know when to cross the road by waiting for the green light. In reality, it’s a team effort – and not an easy task. On a standard kerb-­to-­kerb crossing known to the owner, the guide dog is trained to stop at the edge, to indicate it has reached a crossing.

The owner will listen for traffic, then, when he or she decides it’s safe, give the command ‘Forward!’ However, the guide dog’s training teaches them NOT to obey the command if a car’s coming.

This would be the general stages that a guide dog would go through – from puppy to new owner, supported all the way by Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Birth to four months

Your tiny puppy is living with its mum and siblings in a Guide Dogs volunteer’s home. As well as playing, exploring and napping, the puppy will go to a vets at seven weeks for health checks and to start vaccinations six weeks to four months.

The puppy has now moved to its Puppy Walker’s home. During these crucial months, the dog will start learning good manners and basic commands, such as ‘sit’ and ‘down’ – as well as how to walk on the lead.

Four to 14 months

The puppy is now starting to get used to the area it lives in. It will learn how to negotiate flights of stairs, busy shopping areas and various means of transport. It will also get used to being around people and other dogs.

14 to 17 months

It’s time for guide dog training school. A professional guide dog trainer will introduce your puppy to a special brown training harness. It’s also time to start learning guiding skills such as dealing with kerbs and avoiding obstacles.

17 to 22 months

At this stage, a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor will start to pull all the puppy’s training together, so that it learns to use guiding skills in everyday situations. They will also start the matching process, finding a blind or partially sighted person who’s just right for the puppy.

22 to 24 months

The puppy has grown and learnt and now as a guide dog has changed a blind or partially sighted person’s life forever. It has now settled into its new home and is practicing its regular routes. A Guide Dog Mobility Instructor will keep visiting to check how it’s all going.

So this is a very simplified journey from puppy to guide dog but I’m sure you will agree that these dogs are truly amazing. I for sure will now always donate to these guys and I’m sure you all will too. I also want to thank all my readers, clients and friends for all their get well wishes and cards. You are all lovely.

The sun is still shining but there’s a slight chill to the early morning and evening air that tells us autumn is on its way.

Just as something about the spring drives us to clean and tidy, the thought of autumn days ahead pushes us towards thoughts of warm textures and cosy interiors .

Of course, a total change of interior is impossible for most of us, but there are a few tweaks we can make that will transform the home ready for autumn.

A relaxed country feel is what we have in mind, using lots of textured fabrics and natural wood furniture.

Check out local suppliers of fabric and you’ll find inspirational autumn designs from names such as William Morris, or lovely textures such as tweeds. Make curtains, if you really need to replace them, but otherwise throws and cushions will add a touch of the warmth we’re looking for.

Checks are still big news in the home and Paisley designs, and cushions made from woollen fabric in warm colours against a neutral sofa looks stylish.

Buy new wood furniture, or source vintage from one of the many local sources, and have a mix of natural and subtle painted pieces for best effect.

Not all venues that are taking part in Heritage Open Days have used the World War 1 theme.

Crowland Abbey is open Thursday and Friday (11am to 3pm) and Sunday (1pm to 3pm) for prayer and for visitors to wander round the site of the former 7th century Benedictine monastery.

Pinchbeck Engine Land Drainage Museum, which is housed in the 1833 steam-powered pumping station building, is open Friday and Saturday (10am to 4pm) with displays of artefacts and information explaining the history of drainage in this area.

At Pode Hole, the pumping station is open Friday and Saturday (10am to 4pm) so that visitors can see the diesel and electric land drainage pumping stations and learn about their vital role in flood protection.

The Grade I listed Ayscoughfee Hall Museum in Spalding, whose artefacts tell the story of South Holland, is open from Thursday until Sunday (10.30am to 4pm).

Chain Bridge Forge in Spalding is sharing the workshop’s history and allowing visitors the chance to have a go Friday (10am to 2pm), Saturday and Sunday (11am to 3pm).

Autumn is on its way and soon the trees will be displaying leaves of intense colours for a dramatic display.

The best colours will be a few weeks away yet, probably early October, but now is the time to plan a visit to some of our favourite gardens to enjoy autumn’s spectacle.

The most well-known is Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, home to some of the nation’s oldest and biggest trees.

Although there are something like 16,000 trees and shrubs, it is the autumn colours of the acer, beech and Japanese maple trees that provide the most stunning sights.

Sheffield Park, near Uckfield in East Sussex, is a landscaped garden laid out in the 18th century by Capability Brown.

In autumn particularly, it is worth a visit for the reds, orange and ochre shrubs and rare trees reflected in the park’s lake.

Up in Northumberland, the lovely woodland and lakeside walks at Chillingham Castle in Alnwick are at their very best in their autumn glory.

As well as the vibrant colours of alder, birch and rhododendrons, look out for deer and red squirrels.

Finally, the 250 acres of woodland and mountainside garden at the former home of Ruskin in Brantwood, Coniston, in Cumbria, is superb.

Community Policing Inspector for South Holland Jim Tyner writes about police stop and search powers in his latest column.

Last month the government announced a new code of conduct on police use of stop and search powers.

Stop and Search is an important tool in tackling crime, but if you look at the history of riots over the past decades, the root cause is often down to a mistrust between the police and their community. A symptom of this mistrust has often been the misuse or abuse of stop and search powers.

Let me clarify: we can’t stop and search anyone we feel like. A police officer has powers to stop and search you if they have ‘reasonable grounds’ to suspect you’re carrying:

• illegal drugs

• a weapon

• stolen property

• something which could be used to commit a crime, eg a crowbar

There is another type of search, known as a ‘Section 60’ search, which has to be authorised by a senior officer. This can happen if it is suspected that serious violence could take place in a specific area. When an authorisation for this type of search is given, everyone in the area can be searched. This is designed to tackle gang crime. I have never known this type of search be used in South Holland.

Instead, I will concentrate on the first type of search. The one that mentions ‘reasonable grounds’. Books have been written, court cases argued and careers lost over what constitutes ‘reasonable’. I recently wrote about a stop and search I attempted to carry out on Billy Burglar. The ‘reasonable’ grounds for that search were not because I knew Billy’s offending history: previous offending alone cannot be used as grounds. It was that, combined with his suspicious actions. Additionally, a search can never be based purely on skin colour or nationality.

A measure of the correct use of stop and search is the proportion of searches compared to the crimes in the area. Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC) recently carried out a review. On initial reading it looked like South Holland didn’t come out too well. There were considerably more stop/searches in Spalding town centre than anywhere else in the force, including Lincoln and Boston. For example, in the last quarter of 2013/2014 there were 182 stop/searches in Spalding compared to 84 in Boston.

This set alarm bells going. Were we misusing our powers? Was there wholesale abuse or a single ‘Hot Fuzz’ type super-cop? Were we targeting people unfairly because of nationality or background?

Actually the reasons were much more mundane than that.

There was one particular individual, Mantas Kizevicius, who was believed to be involved in a lot of crime in the town centre at that time. He was the subject of several stop/searches. One of the stop/searches led to his arrest and imprisonment and eventual deportation.

During the period reviewed we also ran an operation targeting drug use and anti-social behaviour around the Sheepmarket toilets. This was as a result of numerous complaints from the public. This inevitably produced a high number of stop/searches in that area.

During the same period there were a growing number of calls and reports to police concerning anti-social behaviour by persons sleeping rough and drinking in and around the Castle Sports Swimming Pool. This area is also within the Designated Public Places Order (DPPO). As a result, my officers were tasked to pay additional attention to the area; patrolling on foot around the perimeter of the building; stopping and checking persons gathering/loitering; and using their powers to seize alcohol and their dispersal powers, where appropriate, and to deal with any offences firmly. In 26 instances officers patrolling in this area considered that they had sufficient grounds to also conduct a search following a stop.

I believe that the level of stop/searches was not excessive but was due to operations I put in place to counter anti-social behaviour, low-level drug dealing and street drinking. In other words, we were dealing with what our communities tell us they want us to deal with.

The review also identified that a significant proportion of the searches were carried out on men from Central and Eastern Europe. Given the nature of the operations to tackle anti-social behaviour linked to street drinking, this should not be surprising. Remember, I said earlier that nationality alone is never grounds for searching someone. Every stop/search is reviewed by the officer’s supervisor who ensures that the grounds for the search are proportionate and lawful. Incidentally, this puts paid to the myth that we are too scared to deal with members of our migrant communities.

Let me share two examples with you. I currently have an operation in place to tackle burglaries in Spalding. Over the past few weeks two men have been arrested for burglaries in separate circumstances.

On August 8 a man was stop/checked in Spalding. Based on recent intelligence and the time of night, the officer felt they had the grounds to carry out a stop/search. In his possession were electrical items, subsequently identified as stolen from a burglary in Pinchbeck Road, Spalding. The man was arrested and subsequently convicted of burglary.

On August 26 an officer carried out a search of a man, based on his erratic behaviour and demeanour, under the Misuse of Drugs Act. In his pocket was a letter not in his name, and enquiries uncovered a burglary. The man was arrested and is currently on police bail.

Stop and search remains an important weapon in our fight against crime. I will continue to monitor to ensure it is being used appropriately. It should be a measure for public good not for community mistrust.

Listings from Thursday, September 11 to Wednesday, September 17

Movies

South Holland Centre, Spalding

The Inbetweeners 2, Thursday 7.30pm.

Showcase Cinemas, Peterborough, from Friday

A Most Wanted Man, Before I Go To Sleep, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy, How to Train Your Dragon 2, If I Stay, Into the Storm, Let’s Be Cops, Lucy, Planes: Fire and Rescue, Pride, Sex Tape, Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For 3D, The Boxtrolls (and 3D), The Guest, The House of Magic, The Hundred-Foot Journey, The Inbetweeners 2, Walking on Sunshine

Music

Friday: Hot Wax Soul Club, Holbeach Services Club, 7.30pm. Limehouse Lizzy plus support from Cuttin Loose, Bourne Corn Exchange, 8pm.

Saturday: 70s night with FRAZ plus disco, Pinchbeck Village Hall, 7.30pm. Donington RBL, Clayton, 8pm.

Sunday: Donington RBL, Budgie, 8pm. Peterborough Jazz Club, Great Northern Hotel, A Night of Gypsy Swing, 7.30pm.

Theatre

South Holland Centre, Spalding

Steve Hewlett is... thinking inside the Box, Friday, 7.30pm. John Newton – Amazing Grace, Saturday, 7.30pm. Act II’s The Who’s Tommy, from Wednesday, 7.30pm.

Key Theatre, Peterborough

Habeas Corpus, HMS Pinafore and Trial by Jury, Glasshouse acoustic.

Stamford Corn Exchange

Ventriloquist Steve Hewlett & Friends, Blofeld & Baxter – Memories of Test Match Special

Stamford Arts Centre

The Accrington Pals, History lecture: Don Chiswell

Listings from Thursday, September 11 to Wednesday, September 17

Thursday

Guiding memorabilia: exhibition at Ayscoughfee Hall Museum, Spalding, until the end of September.

Maze in maize: The Lost Maze of Dinosaurs, Sholtsgate, Whaplode, 10am-6pm, until September 21.

Spalding Folk Club: tune session, Lincoln Arms, Spalding, 8pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Chain Bridge Forge, Spalding, open for blacksmithing, history and chance to have a go 10am-2pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Crowland Abbey open 11am-3pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Ayscoughfee Hall Museum, Spalding, open 10.30am-4pm.

Pinchbeck Photographic Group: annual print exhibition, Birchgrove Garden Centre, Pinchbeck.

Friday

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Chain Bridge Forge, Spalding, open for blacksmithing, history and chance to have a go 10am-2pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St John the Baptist Church, Baston, open, original registers and WW1 research, 10am-5pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Crowland Abbey open 11am-3pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Pinchbeck Engine Land Drainage Museum open 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Pode Hole Pumping Station, open 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Ayscoughfee Hall Museum, Spalding, open 10.30am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St Firmin’s Church, Thurlby, open, original parish registers and WW1 research, 10am-5pm.

Bingo: Cowbit Village Hall, doors 7pm, eyes down 7.30pm.

Bingo: Holbeach Town Band, WI Hall, Holbeach, eyes down 7.30pm, 01775 712420.

Saturday

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Chain Bridge Forge, Spalding, open for blacksmithing, history and chance to have a go 11am-3pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Holbeach Cemetery Chapels open day with World War 1 memorabilia, war songs and DVD plus war grave trail, 10am-4pm, 01406 424102.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Spalding Gentlemen’s Society open for WW1 exhibition plus normal collections, 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St John the Baptist Church, Baston, open, original parish registers and WW1 research, 10am-5pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: The Red Hall, Bourne, illustrated talk by Joyce Stevenson on WW1 Women War Workers and Army Chaplains, 11am, pre booking essential on 01529 461499.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St Andrew’s Church, Folkingham, open, WW1 display, concert of war songs, refreshments, 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St Michael and All Angels, Langtoft, open, original parish registers and WW1 research, 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Long Sutton & District Civic Society’s Residents’ Histories of World War 1, Long Sutton Royal British Legion Club, 10am-5pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Pinchbeck Engine Land Drainage Museum open 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Pode Hole Pumping Station, open 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Ayscoughfee Hall Museum, Spalding, open 10.30am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: guided tour of war memorials in St Mary & St Nicolas Church, Spalding, 11am.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St Firmin’s Church, Thurlby, open, original parish registers and WW1 research, 10am-5pm.

Sandringham Game & Country Fair: 10am-6pm, £12, 01283 820548.

Bingo: Lamb & Flag, Whaplode, 8.30pm.

Coffee morning: Bourne URC, 10am-11.30am.

Falling Starr Wrestling: St Mary & St Nicolas Church hall, Spalding, 7.30pm.

Sunday

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Chain Bridge Forge, Spalding, open for blacksmithing, history and chance to have a go 11am-3pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Spalding Gentlemen’s Society open for lecture by WW1 specialist Ken Besfor, 3.30pm-5pm, must be booked in advance on 01775 724658.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St John the Baptist Church, Baston, open, original registers and WW1 research, 11am-5pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Crowland Abbey open 1pm-3pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St Andrew’s Church, Folkingham, open, WW1 display, concert of war songs, refreshments, 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St Michael and All Angels, Langtoft, open, original parish registers and WW1 research, 10am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: Ayscoughfee Hall Museum, Spalding, open 10.30am-4pm.

Lincolnshire Heritage Open Days: St Firmin’s Church, Thurlby, open, original parish registers and WW1 research, 11am-5pm.

Sandringham Game & Country Fair: 10am-6pm, £12, 01283 820548.

Annual charity Clay Pigeon Shoot: plus barbecue and refreshments, New Roman Bank, Walpole Cross Keys, all day.

Bizzy Boots car boot sale: field at Moulton Chapel Road, 8am, 07445 436136.

Spalding Ramblers: Peter Scott Walk, meeting 10.30am Wingland car park, 07443 485524.

Tea dance: Swineshead Village Hall, 2pm-5pm, entry £3, 01522 750317.

Jerry Green Dog Rescue show: Marsh Lane, Algarkirk, 11.30am-4.30pm.

Monday

Evening of clairvoyance: Whaplode St Catherine Memorial Hall, 7.30pm, entry £10, 01406 540733.

The Kingfishers Model Boat Club: meeting Avenue Farm, Sutton Bridge, 7pm, 01406 350968.

Long Sutton & District Civic Society: talk on the former RAF Holbeach and on The Great Escape, Market House, Long Sutton, 7.15pm, entry £4.

Reading group: Bookmark, Spalding, with author Dea Brovig, 7pm-9pm.

Tuesday

Spalding & District Stamp Club: Keith Farrow entertains, 7.30pm, 01775 762661.

RSPB Wash cruises: Witham Bank East, Boston, 9.30am, £20/£17.50, 01775 764777.

For the regular weekly listings visit www.spaldingtoday.co.uk or call into our offices in The Crescent to pick up your own personal copy.

The information in this column is supplied to us, please ring the organisers where possible to confirm the event before setting out on your journey.

Motorists are being urged to avoid the B1165 Ravens Bank in Whaplode St Catherine because of roadworks from Friday.

The road will be closed for eight days while a bend is resurfaced and improvements are made to allow for better vehicle access.

Diversions are in place but there people living in Ravens Bank will be allowed through.

A drink-driver was caught out when police made a routine stop of his VW Golf in the early hours of the morning.

Anthony Corrigan (21), of Churchfleet Lane, Gosberton, had drunk three bottles of beer during a friend’s birthday and had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in breath – 17 over the legal limit of 35mcgs.

Corrigan pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol in Spalding’s Albion Street on July 17 when he appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

He was fined £340 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £34 victim surcharge.

Magistrates also banned him from driving for a year, but he can cut three months off the disqualification if he pays to go on a drink-drive rehabilitation course.

Jim Clare, prosecuting, said officers stopped Corrigan at 2.40am.

He said it was just a routine check but police smelled intoxicants on his breath.

Corrigan, who was not represented by a solicitor, said it was a friend’s birthday and he drank three bottles of beer without realising “it was quite strong”.

He said he works as a plumbing and drainage engineer and drove that night because he was on call.

Corrigan said his job relies on him having a driving licence, but it’s not yet certain that he will lose his work.

“My boss is trying to thrash something out to see what we can do,” Corrigan said.

“He says he can’t make any promises. Unfortunately the line of work I am in is dependent on having a driving licence.”

Asked if he had anything more to say, Corrigan told magistrates: “Just to apologise, really, for everything.”

Councillors promised they would get tough on the district’s eyesores and readers will not be surprised what their first target is - a derelict pub in Spalding

Owners of the Bull and Monkey in Churchgate have been given 21 days to clean up the site.

The pub has been vacant for several years resulting in shrubs, stinging nettles and weeds growing as well as litter and waste being thrown across the site. Recently a caravan and vehicle were set on fire and dumped in the front of the building, but an area at the rear has also attracted a mountain of litter and empty beer cans, as well as discarded needles used by drug addicts.

Coun Gary Porter, leader of South Holland District Council, announced a new get-tough policy on grot spots last month, which sparked the Spalding Guardian’s Campaign for Change.

Last week planning officers served a S215 notice on the Bull and Monkey’s owners ordering them to clean up the mess. The notice, which takes effect on October 8, requires the owners to cut back all shrubs and remove all nettles, grasses, weeds and litter.

If they fail to comply, they face prosecution in the magistrates’ court, which could lead to a heavy fine. Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for planning, said: “This is a very clear message to the owners that South Holland taxpayers have had enough of their shoddy and irresponsible management. We are determined to deal with this unacceptable blight on our town, our riverside and our parish church.”

Spalding’s singing Major has been entertaining the crowds at community events in the area all summer, but the high note of his year has just arrived – becoming the newly-appointed town centre manager.

Ex-Army Major Dennis Hannant (43), of Billingborough, takes up the post in November - at which point it is hoped he will use military precision to unite local traders and encourage more people to visit Spalding.

He said: “I have no doubt that the job will be challenging, but there is so much potential in Spalding – and this is what really attracted me to the job. Throughout my military career I have learnt that hard work produces the results and I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty.”

His previous experience includes working as the military project officer for the ‘Festival for Heroes’ 2012 event in Grantham, and helping a local events company to organise civilian traders and military displays and an outdoor evening concert, which included two X Factor stars and local bands, as well as performing himself.

He was awarded the MBE in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours for his work with the Army Reserves and charities.

Phil Scarlett, president of the Spalding and District Area Chamber of Commerce, said: “From the beginning, Dennis demonstrated a good understanding of the town and the challenges we face. He showed a determination and enthusiasm to deliver events and activities that will invigorate the town centre. His military background will provide essential planning and organisational skills for what is going to be a demanding and challenging role.”

South Holland District Council Cabinet agreed to award £120,000 from the Springfields Section 106 Spalding Marketing to finance part of the cost of a town centre manager and create an annual project fund for a three-year period. The appointment has been made after two previous unsuccessful bids to fill the post. The Chamber of Commerce will now establish a management board of funders and businesses, which is being formed to support Dennis.

Simon Beardsley, chief cxecutive of Lincolnshire Chamber, added: “This project illustrates the role of a Chamber of Commerce in bringing together partners and funders to deliver a project that was originally conceived and developed by local members. We look forward to Dennis starting so that in time, he, and the project, can make a real difference to Spalding.”

Coun Howard Johnson, SHDC portfolio holder for property, community and member services, said: “Council members will continue to work with Lincolnshire Chamber’s Spalding and District Area Chamber Council and the Town Centre Management Board to support the new post and ensure Spalding remains a vibrant centre for retailers, residents and visitors.”

A plan to put Spalding on the map for its Christmas market could be one of the first projects involving the help of the new town centre manager.

Many stalls have already signed up for the Sunday Christmas Craft and General Market on November 30.

But as it is being run on the same weekend as the craft fair in Ayscoughfee Hall and Gardens on the Saturday and Sunday, and it follows the Christmas lights switch-on on the Friday - creating a three-day festive celebration – organisers at Spalding Town Retailers’ Association are hopeful the event is something that can be built on.

Gavin Allmand, chairman of the association, said: “Our goal is clearly to get as many of the right mix of stalls as possible and to make the Sunday something special to potentially build on year on year.

“Having the two events in the town gives locals and visitors more to see and do and less reason to go elsewhere.”

The association is urging traders, stallholders, seasonal art and craft stallholders and seasonal caterers to get in touch and book a pitch. Email stra2014@outlook.com

Entertainers and performers are also needed for the Christmas lights switch-on. Anyone interested can call Jan Whitbourn on 01775 712400 or email admin@tulip-radio.co.uk