A Gosberton manufacturer of generators and pumps has appointed a new member to its team.

Tim Leech has joined Morris Site Machinery’s product design and development team, focusing on new innovations and improving existing products.

“I was brought up in an engineering world so this is an ideal opportunity for me,” Tim said.

“To be working alongside highly experienced and knowledgeable designers is very exciting and I cannot wait to start working on the next big site machinery product.”

Morris Site Machinery marked its 40th anniversary last year and Tim, who has ten years’ experience mainly in architectural design, will be working alongside chief design engineer Robin Brand and development engineer Roger Burland.

Together, Robin and Roger have worked at Morris Site Machinery for 40 years.

One hundred years ago this week, a meeting was held to consider whether or not it was a good idea to continue Bourne Town Football Club while the war continued.

The meeting was held after the honorary secretary, Mr W Palmer, received a letter from the Peterborough League asking if the club would continue to carry out its list of fixtures if the League were to continue.

There were concerns over whether to continue the league in view of the war.

At the meeting, worries were expressed that other local clubs including Rippingale, Billingborough and Donington has cancelled their fixures until Christmas and that there would be difficulty in finding teams to play.

The club decided that they would not continue in the league as they might find it difficult to fulfil the fixtures.

It was agreed that there would be a meeting in November to decide if the club should re-form in the New Year.

The meeting came at a time when Captain Weigall MP, the honorary recruiting officer for Lincolnshire, had made an appeal to the young men of football clubs to join the army,

He said : “Join the army which is the proper game now.”

During the meeting, it was stated that six of the football players from the last season were on duty at the country’s call.

A meeting held in Peterborough discovered that twelve teams in the league had decided to continue playing football in the league.

Grant schemes under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy will open in England next year.

Consultant Mark Wheeler of Brown & Co looks at what is likely to be available.

The emphasis of the CAP is shifting increasingly to new decoupled payments promoting rural development and management of the countryside.

The scope of these so-called Pillar Two payments is increasingly wide, so farmers and landowners need to understand how to make the most of the new Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), which will begin on January 1.

Under the new schemes, grants will again be awarded on a competitive basis, so those making the strongest cases will have the best chance of securing funds.

Successful bids will involve projects which give the best value in terms of improving productivity, efficiency and/or the health of the rural economy.

Funding could be considered for a variety of projects, whether capital items or for revenue support. It will be important to identify which scheme is most relevant to ensure efforts are focussed in the right area, so rural business needs to think laterally about what items and projects might be eligible and whether they can meet the criteria.

As well as the benefits these grants offer to farming enterprises, there will be opportunities to secure help to develop energy, employment, tourism and other diversification projects.

Over the next seven years the programme will invest £3.5bn in a range of schemes that will support three key areas:

* Managing the environment

* Increasing farming and forestry productivity

* Growing the rural economy

Anyone with a project already in mind should prepare in good time and be ready to see how it fits the criteria.

The first area – managing the environment – will be covered by a single scheme, the New Environmental Land Management Scheme (NELMS), which will account for £3.1bn of the RDP funding.

This will replace the existing Environmental Stewardship and English Woodland Grant schemes and is likely to have broad appeal. Successful eligible agreements are likely to start from January 1, 2016 and will normally run for a duration of five years.

That leaves a considerable pot of money for the second and third areas. Final guidance on exactly what these entail and how to apply for funds is expected in the next few months.

We do know that there will be about £140m of funds to increase farming and forestry productivity over the life of the programme. This area has several aims, including:

* Innovation through the use of new technology and research

* Improving skills and training

* Greater co-operation between farmers and others, including agri-food businesses, in the land-based sectors

* Supporting projects that benefit the environment

The new scheme, the Farming and Forestry Production Scheme (FFPS), will replace the very practical and valuable Farm and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS).

It is likely to be similar to FFIS, consisting of a number of rounds run throughout the programme, offering small-scale grants targeted at quite specific areas that can generally deliver very strong returns to the business employing them.

Recent FFIS priorities have included nutrient management (eg GPS technology to assist with nutrient application) as well as energy saving and water resource management. Under FFIS, 40 per cent grants in lowland areas and 50 per cent in upland areas to a maximum of £35,000 were available. The scheme’s popularity is demonstrated by the fact that bids worth £26m were put in for the £10m available in the final round.

Brown & Co had a success rate of more than 98 per cent in the recent rounds, with precision farming guidance systems accounting for the bulk of our FFIS applications and bringing significant environmental as well as economic benefits. On average grants of close to £8,000 were awarded, which was a significant help to many projects.

Grants will also be administered through regional Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Local Action Groups (LAGs).

LEPs will target £177m at rural priorities such as:

* Development of business knowledge and skills

* Supporting small or micro-businesses

* Investing in broadband and renewable energy

* Promoting rural tourism

LAGS are formed under an EU programme known as LEADER which encourages local representatives to become involved in shaping the development priorities of local areas.

These groups will have £138m to spend over the programme, which will be available to farmers, foresters, other local businesses and rural communities. This money represent a real opportunity - themes will be much wider than the FFPS and not necessarily exclusively agricultural.

LEP and LAGs are currently bidding for funds and shaping what projects they will support, so it is well worth farmers getting involved or at least making an effort to meet some of those on the boards and in local groups to either shape the priorities or at least understand them.

In addition to the schemes falling under the RDPE umbrella there are significant other grants available.

In the East there are around 20 avenues that could be pursued. It is a potential maze. If you have a project in mind, take advice and focus your time on the right scheme.

Schemes are usually competitive, so I recommend getting your dominoes lined up now so you are better prepared as application windows open.

A blue 55-plated Nissan Navara pick-up has been stolen from Dawsmere Road, Dawsmere.

It happened at about 10.10am on Wednesday and anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 129 of September 17.

Meanwhile, police are looking for vandals who have been damaging the soft surface of a play area near Morton Primary School on a regular basis.

The damage caused is set to cost hundreds of pounds to repair and anyone with information should quote incident 349 of September 16 when calling 101.

A pigeon scarer has been stolen from a field in Ryefield Lane, Holbeach Fen, between 11am on September 10 and 5pm on September 12.

Thieves have also taken six blue plastic bird feeders from a field in Badgate Road, Sutton St James.

Anyone with information should call 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

A play about the dangers of child sexual exploitation is coming to Moulton with the help of PCSO (Police Community Support Officer) Bev Robinson.

Chelsea’s Choice will be performed by Northampton-based theatre group AlterEgo Creative Solutions at Moulton Village Hall on Sunday October 12 at 11am, 2pm and 5pm.

A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said: “This is an excellent opportunity for parents, grandparents and carers to find out about child sexual exploitation, understand what grooming is and where to get help and advice.”

Tickets are free and available from Spalding Police Station.

Police are cracking down on street drinking this weekend – and places that sell drink to street drinkers and under-age drinkers.

The step is part of a national police campaign that will see forces across the country encouraging drinkers to take responsibility for themselves on a night out.

Local officers will use ‘Track Back’, identification numbers on bottles and cans to find out where alcohol was bought from, a tool that enables them to target premises that are selling to street drinkers or under-age drinkers.

A police spokesman said: “Lincolnshire Police will also question those involved in incidents where alcohol consumption is a key element to establish where and when alcohol was bought and consumed.

“This will help us build up a picture of any specific problem areas we can take steps to address.

“Plain clothes and uniformed officers from the Alcohol Licensing Department will be on duty over the weekend, visiting premises around the county.

“Part of this activity is intelligence led and is aimed at venues where we believe criminal behaviour is regularly occurring.”

One police force – Northamptonshire – found 27 per cent of all incidents reported in one 24-hour spell were drink-related and that didn’t include the demands on police time from weekend drinkers.

A police operation targeting burglars is “paying absolute dividends”, according to the man in charge of policing South Holland.

Chief Insp Paul Timmins, head of neighbourhood policing for the area, has welcomed early results from Operation Bonus which was launched after a spate of break-ins across Spalding in recent months.

Police arrested four men, three on suspicion of burglary, between August 8 and September 10 during a series of stop and search operations in Spalding at night.

Chief Insp Timmins said: “Operation Bonus is going very well and our response has been absolute brilliant so far.

“Ideally, we wouldn’t like to see burglaries in the first place but crime does happen and we’re using all the powers available to us to detect it.

“These powers include stop-searches which is paying absolute dividends so far.”

The last reported burglary in Spalding was on August 7 when a lap-top computer was stolen from a house in Edinburgh Drive after the front door was left unlocked and windows left open.

Although police patrols are being stepped up around Spalding, people are still being advised to keep their homes secure.

Chief Insp Timmins said: “We’re experiencing a bit of a crime trend with burglaries so we want people to support us by reporting any suspicious activity they notice.

“We’re getting a few charges through the courts and the number of offences have dropped quite significantly, so we’re making the link that our tactics are working.

“We’re stopping and arresting the right people and charging them with offences.”

South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes met Spalding volunteers who are helping to fight heart disease, the nation’s single biggest killer.

The MP said: “It was great to pop in and meet the dedicated members of staff and volunteers that work at the Spalding BHF (British Heart Foundation) shop. The BHF is such a fantastic cause and the work they do is vital in the fight against heart disease. I’d urge locals to have a root around and donate any unwanted items to the shop or give the gift of time by volunteering.”

Mr Hayes – a James Bond fan – contributed by buying about £40 worth of Ian Fleming books from the Market Place shop.

BHF area manager said the shop has 42 volunteers, but needs more, and says the voluntary work is good training for those seeking a job.

One Spalding volunteer, Matthew Paul, has become a member of staff.

The shop now opens 10am-4pm on Sundays to help raise more cash towards the £30million plus a year raised by BHF shops.

People in Bourne and the Deepings are being urgeed to register as a voter by South Kesteven District Council.

Registration forms have been sent to homes across the area ahead of the biggest change to registering electors for more than 100 years.

The council is bringing in an Individual Electoral Registration system so that people now need to register individually as voters, instead of by household as before.

District council leader Linda Neal said: “It is really important that residents respond to the letter if it asks them to take action.

“You need to register in order to be able to vote and the council is focusd on ensuring that people have the information they need to take action.”

About 10,500 people in South Kesteven will need to re-register, while others will be transferred automatically to the new register.

For more information about the changes, visit www.southkesteven.gov.uk/IER

A new home safety checklist has been launched aimed at cutting the number of house fires in Lincolnshire.

More than 50 accidental fires were reported across the county between April and June of this year, a 38 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2013.

But Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, which has launched the checklist, is keen to reduce the number of house fires further by making people more aware of the hazards inside their home.

Annie Best, community fire safety officer in Spalding, said: “We have created this do-it-yourself toolkit to help people check they are really safe and sound.”

“Having a working smoke alarm goes a long way to reducing the risk of a serious fire in your home.

“But our aim is to prevent fires from starting in the first place and if people do find any risks, some of which could spark a fire, our checklist will tell you how to put it right.”

A sniffer dog led police and trading standards officers to illegal cigarettes stashed in a hidden compartment in a Spalding shop’s store room floor.

Kubus, in Sheep Market, was raided in October 2013 when 7,820 cigarettes were found by tobacco detection dog, Indie.

Senior trading standards officer Emma Milligan said: “It isn’t very often that we find a shop keeper has gone to such lengths to hide illegal cigarettes.

“Our tobacco dog indicated that she had found something in a store room and we managed to find a switch by the counter which triggered the hidden platform.

“Cigarettes that don’t have the UK safety messages on them are illegal and they also haven’t had any tax paid on them, which isn’t fair on the majority of shops which sell genuine ones.”

Hardi Tofiq Mohammed (29) appeared at Boston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to four charges relating to the illegal cigarettes.

He was conditionally discharged for two years and ordered to pay £1,000 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

• Trading Standards are urging anyone who believes a trader is dealing in illegal, fake or duty free cigarettes to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

A Spalding resident is calling for something to be done over the amount of litter in town after piles of rubbish made an alleyway unpassable.

Sandra White spends hours of her time working to make sure that Spalding is clean and tidy.

However, Sandra discovered an alleyway on Albion Street, which is used to walk through to the River Welland, was cut off by 28 bags of rubbish which had been left there on Monday.

Sandra said: “The amount of work I do to get rid of the rubbish is unreal.

“You’d be surprised at what is at the back of shops – there is rubbish absolutely everywhere.

“We can’t give everyone rose tinted glasses – the place is a state and something needs to be done.”

Sandra believes the litter 
problem could end if the 
council help to educate people on litter.

She said: “I do think that people – especially businesses – need to be educated more on this.

“I think the council could make it work if they were more dedicated to sorting the rubbish too.

“I’m also looking forward to seeing what happens with the Bull and Monkey now that they’ve been ordered to clear up the site but I don’t believe it will get any better.”

Despite the difficulties Sandra often faces while cleaning up the area, she says that she does enjoy what she does.

She said: “People are lovely to me about what I do and lots do seem grateful. I believe if you live in a clean area you have a clean mind.”

A spokesperson for South Holland District Council said:“Our waste team spotted the rubbish earlier this week and it was cleaned up on Tuesday.

“We have delivered warning letters to nearby homes and would like to remind residents that unauthorised rubbish dumping can lead to fines.”

Over time you tend to gather an understanding for the various fluctuations in the developments and downfalls of your community.

I have witnessed first-hand the reductive effect that cleanliness has on crime locally, and it is one of the many reasons that I came to admire the work of the Conservative party in Spalding.

Putting political parties aside for the moment, it is widely accepted that voluntary street-cleaning has a knock-on effect on crime in various ways.

A large number of people that litter, will only do it when only marginally adding to the problem.

I know that after an afternoon collecting a few bags, or perhaps even cutting back some overgrowth, the attitude of most people changes.

A growing number of people are out cleaning regularly, making sure our children are not being exposed to unsavoury rubbish and setting an example for those that might not think twice.

We should be proud of the number of people that care enough to donate their time and keep our town clean.

We need to highlight the clear connection between cleanliness and crime.

Please consider joining me on a litter pick – if you have never done it before it is a great experience and provides a valuable message to people of all ages.

You can contact me by telephone on 07761098517 or email me at jack@shdconserv atives.co.uk

Jack McLean

Conservative Candidate

Spalding St Johns

Further to David Turp’s letter in the Guardian last week, we fully support his views. I have emailed Brylaine in July but have not had a reply.

I have again written to them last week asking them to reconsider, especially for older people who cannot afford taxis when they need urgent blood tests, consultations or need to visit patients.

Call Connect is not always readily available. We should be able to access our local hospital by public transport or why build it out of town?

I have copied my letter to Councillor Angela Newton and to our MP, John Hayes.

Maureen Scantlebury

Welland Seniors’ Forum

Doctor Calling: A weekly column by Dr Miles Langdon of South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, addressing topical health issues

NHS South Lincolnshire CCG is raising awareness of eczema during National Eczema Week from September 13 to 21.

Atopic eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is the most common form of eczema. It mainly affects children, but can continue into adulthood.

It is a complex condition and one that affects a growing number of families in the UK. Highly visible, it attracts attention, speculation and comment, which is why it’s so important to have a better understanding of its causes, symptoms and treatment as well as the everyday difficulties that it presents.

The condition causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry and cracked. It is a long-term condition. Atopic eczema commonly occurs in areas with folds of skin, such as:

* Behind the knees

* The inside of the elbows

* On the side of the neck

* Around the eyes and ears

It can vary in severity and most people are only mildly affected. Severe symptoms include cracked, sore and bleeding skin. People with atopic eczema usually have periods when symptoms are less noticeable, as well as flare-ups when symptoms become more severe, needing additional treatment.

The exact cause of eczema is unknown. However, it often occurs in people who get allergies and can occur alongside other conditions such as asthma and hay fever. Many different types of treatment can be used to control symptoms and manage eczema, including medication and self-help techniques”. 

Atopic eczema clears up or significantly improves in many children as they get older. In over 50 per cent of cases, atopic eczema clears up by the time a child reaches 11 years of age, and in over 60 per cent of cases it clears up by 16 years of age. However, severe eczema often has a significant impact on daily life and may be difficult to cope with physically and mentally. There is also an increased risk of infections. 

The main treatments are:

* Emollients (moisturising treatments) – used all the time for dry skin.

* Topical corticosteroids – used to reduce swelling and redness during flare-ups

Facts

About one in five children in the UK has eczema. In eight out of 10 cases, atopic eczema occurs before a child reaches five years of age. Many children develop it before their first birthday.

The number of people diagnosed with atopic eczema has increased in recent years. This could be because of changes in lifestyle or environmental factors that cause eczema, or because healthcare professionals are now more aware of the symptoms.

Males and females are affected equally.

Money Matters by Scott Woods

Online financial news service Money Marketing has revealed that pensions reforms announced in this year’s Budget have had a crippling impact on sales of annuities.

This view is supported by official figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) which showed that the amount of annuities arranged dropped by 38 per cent between the first and second quarters of 2014.

However, annuity sales are 42 per cent down compared to the same quarter in 2013, suggesting the insurance products were falling out of favour before the Chancellor made his announcement in March.

Around 90,000 annuities worth about £3 billion were set up between April and June 2013, compared to just over 46,000 annuities totalling £1.8 billion in the same period this year.

Tom Selby, head of news at Money Marketing, said: “The Treasury has afforded savers the luxury of being able to drain their entire pension pot as quickly as they like.

“However, political expediency means the guidance guarantee designed to ensure savers don’t make bad decisions come April next year will be flimsy at best.”

The ABI’s data also showed that the average amount of money used to buy an annuity rose during the two quarters from £34,500 last year to £38,600 in 2014.

According to the ABI, this suggests people with smaller pots are waiting to take advantage of the freedoms announced in the Budget.

Despite highlighting the problems of savers failing to shop around for the best-priced annuties, of those who did buy annuities in Quarter Two (April-June) 2014, 55 per cent bought them off their existing provider, compared to 48 per cent the previous quarter and 49 per cent year-on-year.

Despite many people qualifying for them, enhanced annuities made up only 29 per cent of all annuity sales.

This is up slightly on the 25 per cent from the same quarter last year but still means thousands of retiring people could be missing out on extra income.

I felt very sad on Saturday week when my nine-year-old granddaughter bought me a bunch of yellow and gold roses from a stall near Boots in Spalding – she had earned her pocket money and spent £2 on the roses.

As she walked away with her auntie she realised the stallholder had given her £1 too much change. She went back to the man on the stall and he actually took it back.

Yes, it was his, but I thought to encourage our honest children he could have at least given her 50p back for being honest.

I stand very proud of you Jodie.

Barbara Lawson

Spalding

On the afternoon of September 4 I went into anaphylactic shock and if it was not for the speed and dedication of our paramedic team I would not be here today.

I would also like to mention the AMU ward at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, our ambulance service and Pilgrim Hospital itself. I was in a collapsed state and not breathing when the paramedics arrived. They very soon managed to stabilise me and take me through to Pilgrim where a team of medics were awaiting.

I was taken straight from paramedic care to their care. I was given the best medical care possible even having scans to make sure all was well. The nursing care on the AMU ward was excellent.

Abig thank you to everyone who was there for me. I am making a good recovery and shall be eternally grateful to everyone who helped.

Susan Sharman

Spalding

Today my wife and I visited TSB Bank in Long Sutton to sort out some issues with our accounts.

We were seen very promptly by a lady called Emily Barber who spent over an hour going through our issues and resolving them.

With all the negative press that banks have received in recent years, it was a very refreshing experience to have such a personal service.

I would like to thank Emily for her time and say well done to TSB in Long Sutton for providing such an excellent service to their customers.

Clive and Janet Benton

Long Sutton