People in Bourne and the Deepings are likely to see their council tax bills frozen in 2015-16 after the result of an online consultation in the area.

The poll by South Kesteven District Council resulted in just over 51 per cent of those who took part deciding against a proposed council tax rise of two per cent from April.

More than 100 people voted in the consultation and district council cabinet members voted to follow the result and freeze council tax at a meeting on Monday.

The final council tax level for 2015-16 will be decided at a meeting on March 6 when members will vote on whether to keep it at £127.47 for an average band D property.

I couldn’t agree more with the letter from P Warner about candidates living in the place they aim to represent (Lincs Free Press, Jan 27).

He/she is right; we are indeed well served by our local MP, John Hayes, who is diligent and hardworking. No less so, since he became a nationally prominent and highly regarded figure.

However, in my view, he/she is far too soft on Mr Hayes’ opponents. The likes of UKIP’s David Parsons – all very well for the, thankfully, small number of his apologists to play down his dodgy past! Apparently, in 2012, Mr Parsons was censured by a Leicestershire standards committee for breaking the councillors’ code of conduct FIVE times; disregarding four key principles of public life – honesty, integrity, accountability and leadership! Do we really want someone with history as dreadful as this representing us? No wonder he dare not move here to live before the election!

Richard Fairman, though charmingly eccentric, is at least local and should surely have been given another chance to contest the seat? Some may say that he’s too old? But, from reading your pages, it seems that Mr Parsons is beyond retirement age himself.

Andrew Livsey

via email

DOCTOR CALLING: By Dr Kevin Hill

With winter well and truly upon us, the NHS is reminding people they can stay warm and well in five simple steps.

* Get your free flu jab if you’re 65 or over, pregnant, have certain medical conditions, live in a residential or nursing home, or are the main carer for an older person or someone with disabilities.

* Set your heating to temperatures of between 18 and 21C.

* Layer your clothing and wear shoes with a good grip.

* Keep active and have hot meals and drinks throughout the day.

* Find out about benefits to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating and help with your bills.

You can prevent colds and flu spreading by covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze, throwing away used tissues as soon as possible, washing your hands regularly with soap and water, and stocking up on over-the-counter cough and cold remedies.

You should also keep active and eat a varied diet of hot food, including five daily portions of fruit and veg.

Also, you should wear lots of thin layers of clothing.

Parents of children under four, and women who are at least 10 weeks’ pregnant and claiming certain benefits, may be eligible for free weekly Health Start vouchers which can be swapped for milk, fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables, infant formula milk and vitamins.

To find out more, visit the website www.healthystart.nhs.uk or telephone 0845 607 6823.

CABINET CALL: By South Holland District Council portfolio holder for internal services, performance and business development Gary Taylor

Providing you with information about the wide range of services we deliver is an essential part of what we do for residents and businesses across South Holland.

This is also why we launch public campaigns on issues important to communities such as Pride in South Holland which, in partnership with this newspaper, is working to get everybody involved in helping keep our district clean and tidy.

And more and more of our information today can be found where more and more people go everyday – Facebook, Twitter, and of course our website at www.sholland.gov.uk

With increasing numbers of residents and businesses online 24/7, using their Smartphones, tablets or iPads to pay bills, order goods and keep up to date, we are working hard to make sure South Holland District Council is there with you.

Today you can join more than 1,300 other people who follow us on Twitter at @SouthHollandDC, or catch up on news and events on our Facebook page which is growing in popularity as we use it more to keep residents up to date.

Our dog warden also has a Facebook page and I am always surprised at the hundreds of people showing a welcome concern about the stray dogs we find.

Full contact details for all your councillors are on www.sholland.co.uk where you will also find details of our services, how to view our popular webcasts of planning meetings and how to get in touch.

As much as online news services are growing rapidly in today’s world I, along with many others in the community, am a big fan of our local printed newspapers, and the community radio station.

Not only do they continue to give people up to date and interesting news but they also have an important role as community champions, challenging and highlighting the work we all do.

I take an active interest in ensuring that isolated and vulnerable residents are fully involved within their communities and the local media, such as this newspaper, do a lot to keep all people informed and involved.

Our next public campaign, to be launched shortly, will highlight the opportunity for South Holland residents to spread their council tax instalments over 12 months instead of 10.

We are working hard to help you by cutting your council tax as much as possible, and now we want to help by spreading the time given to pay.

I have to admit I fully support Margaret Wilson’s view in a recent edition of the Guardian, that John Hayes MP is dedicated, and works very hard for the constituents of South Holland, and ordinarily I might vote for him in a general election.

But a vote for a Conservative MP, is a vote for a Conservative government, who’s leader clearly wants to give away much of our hard-earned money to foreign countries, collected as tax, and given to him under the threat of going to prison if we don’t pay, then followed by cries that he doesn’t have enough cash to pay for our essential and other services.

In addition he has an open door policy that allows foreign criminals to enter our country to commit further crimes.

And much to Margaret’s dismay, UKIP does have policies, lots of them.

The first to remove this country from control by the European Union, then to redirect money previously given away, to our needy services, and finally to regain control of our borders.

I feel sorry for Mr Hayes, but it’s clear to me, he’s riding the wrong horse in this race.

Peter Bird

UKIP

In contrast to (UKIP’s parliamentary candidate)David Parsons’ remarks that the “Tories just sat back and let the planning application for 50 new homes in Harvester Way be built” I would like to say how wrong can a prospective MP be?!

I started a petition on behalf of my neighbours and myself of Harvester Way, against the dangerous access for both existing residents and for any new ones.

I asked (Councillor) Angela Harrison for help as I have never done anything like this before and she has been fantastic. She has a real heart and passion for the people of Crowland .

She fought for us at two committee meetings and was gutted at the result as was I when we lost by just ONE vote!

For anyone who wonders, Angela is still helping us, but unlike David she doesn’t have to play against the other parties, or run to the newspapers, as the residents know that she lives and works alongside us and we love her for it.

Angela is still fighting for us regarding the dangerous access and the fragile infrastructure, so please be assured that no way are the “Tories sitting back”; on the contrary I wonder what David Parsons has been doing?

He certainly wasn’t at either of the two committee meetings and he certainly hasn’t been helping me with any of the three petitions that have been going around Crowland, so I think David Parsons, you should get your facts right first as you certainly won’t get people to trust you by being ignorant of the facts and making up the story.

John Hayes (MP) has also helped me by enabling me to gain access to a barrister to gain advice and he has also been working closely with Angela over this despite all the other issues that he has to deal with – so once again what David Parsons has said has been totally wrong.

I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of us residents of Crowland, to say a big “thank you” to Angela and John as they have been and still are working for us.

Helen Bobrowicz

Crowland

TRISH TAKES FIVE: By award-winning blogger Trish Burgess

I would write 500 words... and I would write 500 more.

In fact, I do write 500 words every week for this column and have done for a year. Happy Birthday Trish Takes Five!

At first I made it a personal target to write a piece with exactly that number, before I realised the accompanying photo can be shrunk or increased to fit my story.

When I’m feeling very garrulous, I have been known to extend the column to such an extent that I fill most of the page. But, in the main, 500 words is just enough.

I am given free rein, within reason, to write about any topic. I try, if possible, to keep it local, so have written about theatre groups and my hankering for Pacey’s white rolls.

But as the idea is to just take up five minutes of your time, I might talk about holidays, car journeys and TV programmes. I’m very grateful to my husband who is often a great source of material: he is very accommodating and just rolls his eyes as I share stories about his love of whisky or his inability to decorate a florentine.

In effect, what I try to do is write ‘My News’ which I remember as a child was a weekly task I always relished. I would tell my teacher everything: all secrets from home were shared with her. I once wrote that my daddy thought she was lovely and that mummy was very cross. Needless to say my poor father was so embarrassed he refused to go along to parents’ evening the following week.

Looking back at my old story books, it’s a wonder I am able to make sense of them at all as, in the 1960s, my school had adopted the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA).

This was a system designed to help young children read and write, adding 14 extra characters to the alphabet to represent certain sounds.

It was a very bizarre method and lost favour when it became clear that some children found it difficult to transfer to the accepted alphabet at the age of seven.

‘School’ was written as ‘skwl’, ‘nice’ was ‘nies’ and ‘great’ was ‘graet’; the ‘a’ joined to the ‘e’. The teachers also had to mark the work using ITA.

At the end of one story, in traditional red pen, are the words ‘gwd sentensez’ and ‘eksellent’.

Across the country there will be many young children writing 500 words for the short story competition run by the BBC in association with Hay Fever, the family and children’s programme of the Hay Festival.

I know at Ayscoughfee Hall School, where I have been a governor for many years, the children have been working hard to create a piece of fiction they hope will impress the judges.

Keeping the story within the word limits is going to be tough. If any of them are unsure, use this column as a guide as it is exactly 500 words long.

Well, it is now.

All eyes will be on the front of the Red Lion Hotel in Spalding Market Place at 2pm on 
Friday, February 20.

Here, 48 years after the event, a blue plaque will be unveiled to commemorate the occasion that rock legend Jimi Hendrix stayed at the hotel.

Bank Holiday Monday, May 29, 1967, was the night Spalding came to life and took its place in rock and roll history.

Way before the days of Woodstock and Glastonbury, Spalding was the place where it was at – for one night only.

Four thousand rockers and hippies descended on the town amongst unfounded fears that they would tear the place apart.

They were all headed for the Bulb Auction Halls in Winfrey Avenue – now the site of Holland Market – to dance non-stop from 4pm to midnight to the sounds of six of the top bands of the day.

Most memorable of these performers was the late Jimi Hendrix.

It was not Hendrix, however, who was the headline act. Much to his annoyance this honour went to Geno Washington with his Ram Jam Band, although it was said that local band Sounds Force 5 were brought in to attract local music fans.

They had the honour of being the support act for the programme which included, along with Hendrix and Geno Washington, top names Cream, Pink Floyd, The Move and Zoot Money.

All of these had been signed up for the gig as unknowns before reaching the height of their fame. This was reflected in the fees they were paid. Incredibly Jimi Hendrix only received £128 for his 
appearance.

Even more incredible was the cost of admission. Just £1 to see all these greats!

Now, nearly half a century later, Spalding and District Civic Society, with the assistance of Nigel Wilkins of the Red Lion along with Colin Ward of Sounds Force 5 and Coun Elizabeth Sneath, are marking this eventful occasion with a permanent blue plaque.

The honour of unveiling the plaque will go to members of Sounds Force 5 to celebrate 50 years since they first got together.

Members still living 
locally will be joined by 
founder member Rob Munton who is travelling over from his home in Australia especially for this anniversary.

It is doubtful that Spalding will ever again see the likes of that memorable night in May 1967 which was at the start of the season that became known as the “Summer of Love”.

THINK GREEN: By South Holland District Council waste and recycling officer Laura Simpkins

It has now been a year since the introduction of the recycling rewards scheme across South Holland.

In this time it has seen over 100 lucky winners, all claiming the £100 reward for regular recycling.

This month the winners of the Green Bag Lottery included Chris Page and Jessica Collins of Spalding; Ben Still of Long Sutton; William Girvan of Gedney Drove End; Margaret Nunn (pictured) of Holbeach St Marks; Angela Barrand of Spalding and Ms Sharon Spencer-Hanssen of Donington. Congratulations to all of these fantastic recyclers!

The scheme is funded by a central government grant – the Weekly Collections Support Scheme – which has contributed to the better operating of waste and recycling services across the district.

As well as maintaining our weekly collections the scheme has also paid for two waste and recycling officers, the Green Bag Lottery, the Litter Blitz campaign and community talks.

You may have also noticed that South Holland District Council has invested in a new fleet of vehicles including caged vehicles and grounds maintenance vehicles as well as new refuse and recycling collection vehicles.

These are to help improve the efficiency of the services we offer, with the new refuse and recycling collection vehicles being more environmentally friendly, with lower emissions.

For more information about the scheme please visit www.greenbaglottery.co.uk or ring customer services on 01775 761161.

John Hayes says that the national deficit is being reduced (this week’s Free Press). 


Yes, the government may be borrowing less per minute than previously but it is still borrowing instead of paying off our debts. What we actually owe is still increasing.

With national debt numbers like December 2013 £1,254.3 billion, August 2014 £1,432.3 billion, February 2015 £1,486.8 billion I would not call this a reduction.

The government is still borrowing more money, not paying it back. I do not believe our country can borrow its way out of debt. I believe it is about time politicians of all stripes admit the problem and agree a solution that actually decreases what we owe.

Would Mr Hayes please explain how his government still borrowing money instead of paying it back is a good thing?

Nigel Wickenden

Spalding

An interesting letter in your paper from the Conservative chairman last week, though rather inaccurate.

Oh dear Margaret, a tiny minority ? May I remind you that we won the Euro elections last year, doing very well indeed in Lincolnshire.

Tim was not sacked. He, like so many of us, works his socks off for his country. He was elected to an additional job on his local council and could not deal with the extra workload. He had done much of the groundwork, so he put local people first.

Since your party has not yet published its May manifesto, I assume you have no new polices of your own either.

I point you towards our “100 points for 100 days” recently published. We will produce our document when you have exposed your own effort – there is a strange tendency to copy policies from others just now.

I make no comment on our MP other than to say I judge people by what they actually achieve, rather than how broad their smile, how much publicity they get or how many local events they attend.

We are not voting for individuals but for parties here, wrong of course but that’s the way it works.

A Conservative vote is one for remaining in the rapidly failing EU and all that comes with it. There will be no meaningful renegotiation and your party will be campaigning to stay in, come what may.

No doubt individual candidates may be allowed to pretend otherwise, until after the election.

This year brings us an opportunity to move forward in a new direction, not to remain stuck in the EU rut, to seek wider trade links with the whole world, control our borders in the same way as most nations, free ourselves from the dead hand of unelected officials in Brussels, pass new laws designed for us, not for France, Germany or Romania. In short, a chance for genuine change, not just more of the same.

I’ve lived here for many years, my wife is a local farmer’s daughter. I’ve never seen the local Conservatives so agitated. Perhaps those majorities are not so safe after all ?

Time will tell.

Paul Foyster

Chairman UKIP South Holland & the Deepings

After the initial fanfare over the opening of the expensive and long-delayed A16 from Spalding to Peterborough, it was predictable that within a few years there would be calls for it to be upgraded at further public expense (last week’s Spalding Guardian).

Am I alone, however, in finding it ironic that the haulage companies who are fronting the campaign are the very people whose huge, slow-moving lorries cause most of the congestion?

Might there be a more creative solution to the problem of sending goods from place to place, like making better use of the recently upgraded (at significant public expense) railway line which runs through the heart of Lincolnshire to connect with the mainline network at Peterborough?

Traffic congestion has never been solved simply by covering more and more of the country in tar – just look at the still-gridlocked four-lane stretches of the M25.

The faster you lay it, the quicker new vehicles appear to fill it.

We need to start investing more productively in other ways of getting people and goods from A to B, and that means, amongst other things, bringing our railway network back into public ownership so that it can form part of a coherent national transport strategy.

Martin Blake

Spalding


Pupils and staff at Weston Hills Church of England 
Primary School are 
celebrating after a visit from Ofsted.

The inspector was very impressed with everything she saw and the school was graded “good” in all areas.

Headteacher, Mrs Jane Fitzgerald, was particularly pleased to read positive comments in the report about the children’s behaviour and attitude to learning.

These included: “Pupils respond well to the good teaching they receive and behave well. They work hard in lessons and are polite to each other and adults at all times.”

Mrs Fitzgerald said: “Everyone at Weston Hills is very proud of the school and it is wonderful to have the hard work of all the staff and pupils recognised.

“Ofsted confirmed our own views of the school and agreed that ‘teaching is good throughout the school.

“Lessons are interesting and well planned to challenge pupils of differing abilities’.”

The full report is available on the school website at http://www.westonhills.lincs.sch.uk or via the Ofsted website.

HAYES IN THE HOUSE: By local MP John Hayes

There’s something about the recent performance of the British economy that reminds me of Lewis Carroll’s description of Alice after she eats the cake labelled ‘eat me’. ‘Curiouser and curiouser’ she cries, as she grows rapidly.

The welcome figures this week from the Office for National Statistics show the British economy growing at a rate that rivals Alice – 2.6 per cent last year.

To the surprise of some, that’s the fastest growth of any major economy in 2014. In fact it was the best year for growth since 2007, and with the economy now 3.4 per cent above its pre-recession peak it is crystal clear that Britain’s recovery demonstrates the importance of getting our 
nation’s finances under control.

What a contrast with our European continental neighbours, mired in recession, with soaring unemployment and an unloved and devaluing single currency.

We must be mindful, however, of the risks in the global economy and not be tempted to take our change in fortunes for granted. But as we have got spending under control, cut the benefits bill and reduced the deficit we are certainly well on the way to building a stronger, healthier economy – boosting businesses and creating jobs.

The most startling success of the last few years is the remarkable fall in unemployment; down by over half a million since May 2010. Here in South Holland and Deepings unemployment is 
extraordinarily low – just 1.6 per cent, compared to 3.7 per cent five years ago.

Britain is, as the Prime Minister recently declared, the “jobs factory of Europe”, with more people in work than ever before. Pay is now rising too – up 1.8 per cent last year, above inflation.

The number of job vacancies have reached a 14-year record high, and youth 
unemployment has dropped dramatically too – the number of young people claiming Job Seekers Allowance is at its lowest level since the 1970s.

Contrary to doom-mongers’ predictions, over three quarters of the new jobs are full time and taken by local people, not foreigners, and full time posts accounted for 95 per cent of the rise in employment over the past year.

And the jobs boom is reaching those previously left behind – there are now a quarter of a million more disabled people in work in Britain this year compared to last.

More people are moving off benefits and into work, whereas previously too many in our society were written off, and trapped in unemployment and welfare dependency. More people now with a regular income can build a secure future for their family.

We are bearing down on those who, in the past, preferred a lazy lifetime on benefits to hard work. But reforming welfare is about changing people’s lives – it’s a moral mission, the purpose of which is fairness; helping those that can to prosper by their own effort whilst supporting those in need.

It’s clear, more than ever, that we have a choice – to continue on the certain path to more growth, jobs and greater prosperity, or like Alice, be tempted to drink from a bottled labelled ‘drink me’ and disappear, once again, down the rabbit hole to who knows where.

ON THE BEAT: With Inspector Jim Tyner

This week I thought I would share with you a letter I recently sent to our new recruits:

Dear Jaki, Marc and Ben,

It is with profound gratitude that I welcome you: South Holland’s three newest police officers. I am grateful that you have answered the call to service and have joined the ranks of Lincolnshire’s finest.

You have now completed the first week of your Student Officer programme at Headquarters. You have been issued your uniform and handcuffs and have taken the oath of the Office of Constable. This ‘office’ is not a physical building: The Office of Constable has evolved over the centuries and is unique because it is the duty of police officers to protect life and property, preserve order, and prevent the commission of offences and, where an offence has been committed, to take measures to bring the offender to justice.

The high standards and restrictions are also placed on our professional and private lives. Police officers of every rank still hold the Office of Constable.

That credit-card sized bit of plastic with your photo on it isn’t simply an identification card: it’s called a warrant card. It is proof of your authority.

It may seem light, but will weigh heavy in your pocket. It means that, on duty or off duty, you can never again cross over to the other side of the road for safety. You will go forward towards danger when others turn away.

You have been through a rigorous selection process. Now is the time to make the most of your training. You will learn legal definitions and learn about the enormous powers that you now have: powers to stop vehicles; powers to demand breath-tests from motorists; powers to stop and search; powers to detain and arrest.

You will also have the power to use physical force to exercise these other powers. No other job has this range of powers and so, with your new-found powers, comes enormous responsibility.

You must learn to use your powers wisely, proportionately and responsibly. You must also learn to deal with broken parts of our society for which you have no legal powers but are still expected to help.

You must use your problem-solving skills. Be resolute towards wrong-doers and compassionate with victims. Do the right thing.

When you have finished your training, be ready to serve and protect the community of South Holland. Where every day brings with it responsibility to keep all of our community safe: safe from crime and safe from anti-social behaviour.

And though, in some ways, we are on the cutting edge of technology with automatic number plate readers and CCTV and mobile data technology, nothing will replace the reassurance value of your physical presence on our streets. Nothing will replace your ‘cop’s nose’; your sense of right and wrong and your eyes and ears in our towns and villages.

When you take your first steps on patrol, none of us know which paths your policing careers will take. The only thing I can guarantee is that at various times you will be spat upon, puked upon and looked down upon.

Rise above it. There are others that will look to you to make a difference in their lives at moments of crisis. Live up to that challenge.

We remain safe in South Holland because of the hard work and dedication of the men and women who report for duty every day. Much of their work is unseen.

My officers work in the twilight part of our community. They work every day in amongst the lost people of society: the shattered homes and shattered lives of our community. They work to help others at moments of personal disaster in their lives.

Now you wear the same uniform; carry the same warrant card. You are joining their ranks.

Thank you for answering the call to service. It’s a job like no other.

Best wishes and good luck.

Jim Tyner

Community Policing Inspector

A headteacher in South Holland says he fears for his students as the run-up to the election sees “politicians of every stripe continue to kick the educational football all over the pitch”.

This week we have seen calls for times tables to be learned in primary schools and Prime Minister David Cameron’s determination to rid the country of “mediocre” schools.

However, Martyn Taylor, headteacher of The Thomas Cowley High School in Donington, said: “It’s all cant and hypocrisy.

“The new exams are going to guarantee that there will be even more mediocre schools. For instance did you know that the new Eng Lit Anthology exam is a closed book exam? So all the students will have to learn 15 poems in preparation for the examination. They won’t have access to them to help them write their answers on the poems. They will have to remember them.

“Make exams a memory test; make them a once only exercise; make them about factual recall and not skills. This government is developing an education system which will reward an elite.

“I have a daughter going into Secondary education in September. I fear for her as the politicians of every stripe continue to kick the educational football all over the pitch. To them it’s a game. For her it’s a future.”

The latest school league tables have been branded as misleading by several headteachers following sweeping changes to the system.

Tables indicate a widening gulf between the best and worst performing schools in the region. Ranked by the percentage of pupils achieving five A* to C grades including English and maths, Spalding High School topped the A-Level and GCSE league tables for South Holland with 97 per cent grade passes.

The school was also among the top 10 schools in Lincolnshire ranked by average point score per full-time A-Level student.

For the first time, secondary school tables were split to separate A-Level results from vocational qualifications.

Sir John Gleed School just missed out to Branston Community Academy, with the Deepings School also in the top 10.

Chris Mallaband, executive headteacher at Sir John Gleed School, said: “The league tables have to be read in the context of a national drop in GCSE results. This is caused by changes in the examination system and in particular a move to reduce coursework.

“If you think about it in Lincolnshire the grammar schools are essentially catering for As and Bs so will be largely unaffected, meaning that other schools can be disproportionately affected. If you look at schools in this area you can see the different impacts.

“I would like to work for a government that supports teachers and school leaders and works cooperatively and collaboratively with them to raise standards. The problems with words like cooperative and collaborative are that they don’t have the punch that an election campaign needs.”

A takeaway in Spalding ranked zero in the last round of food hygiene inspections has achieved a new rating of three.

Toppings in Westlode Street was this week receiving praise from South Holland District Council for its “hard work and commitment to achieve a higher rating”.

Eighteen more businesses in South Holland are now achieving the top ranked food hygiene rating of five.

Long Sutton takeaways San San, in High Street, and Chilli Hut, in Market Place, remain zero rated, but are yet to be reinspected.

The latest figures, stating 299 firms are rated five, have been released to coincide with the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) ‘Look Before You Book’ Valentine’s Day campaign.

Ratings tell you about the hygiene standards in restaurants and other food businesses. Within South Holland, there are currently 625 food premises that have been rated.

A breakdown of figures shows:

• 299 are rated 5 (increase of 18 since Nov 14)

• 176 are rated 4 (drop of 7 since Nov 14))

• 124 are rated 3 (no change since Nov 14)

• 12 are rated 2 (drop of 1 since Nov 14)

• 12 are rated 1 (drop of 2 since Nov 14)

• 2 are rated 0 (drop of 1 since Nov 14)

Coun Malcolm Chandler, portfolio holder for Environmental Health, said: “The latest Food Hygiene Rating figures are extremely pleasing to see. An increase of 18 businesses achieving the top rating demonstrates clearly the commitment that owners are putting into ensuring good food hygiene regimes.

“I’m happy to say that one of the businesses which was rated ‘0’ through hard work and commitment has been able to achieve a higher rating.

“This change in rating has been achieved by a range of enforcement options available to The Food, Health and Safety Team and building towards a good working relationship between both parties.

“The two remaining businesses are currently working with the team and it is hoped that both will be able to achieve a better rating shortly.”

Readers can check ratings at www.food.gov.uk/ratings

A grey Volkswagen Passat, registration number YG04 EWA, has been stolen from the driveway of a house in Gedney.

The car was stolen from a house in Hallgate between 2am and 8.30 on Monday when the thieves left behind a woman’s pushbike.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident number 77 of February 9.

You can also call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Meanwhile, police in Bourne are warning people to take extra security measures after a spate of burglaries in recent weeks.

Inspector Mike Burnett said: “We are having a lot of reports of daytime burglaries coming in from Bourne and the Deepings.”

“We need the public’s help to catch the people doing this.”

Former chairman of South Holland District Council Amanda Puttick died on Saturday following a long battle with illness.

Council leader Gary Porter described his former cabinet colleague as “a great champion for the people of Donington”.

She was first elected in the district council’s Donington, Quadring and Gosberton ward in 1999 and, as well as becoming council chairman, served as portfolio holder for housing and as a scrutiny committee chairman.

She had also served as a Lincolnshire county councillor.

Mrs Puttick was seriously ill with kidney failure and was on dialysis. It is believed she suffered a stroke on Monday of last week and was admitted to the hospital where she died.

She courageously battled on with her council work as her health declined, but gradually had to give up more and more of her responsibilities.

Coun Porter said Mrs Puttick was a friend of most of the Conservative group, not just a member, and enjoyed writing the lines for the group’s panto at their Christmas get-togethers.

He said: “Obviously she was very Donington focused, she was a great champion for the people of Donington and that was how she first got involved with us.”

She had lived in Donington for many years before moving to Spalding.

Mrs Puttick was an active member of the Improving the Donington Environment for All (IDEA) group and was involved in several campaigns. In recent years she worked to solve the problem of overflowing bins in Flinders Park and set up an action plan to help improve the village.

It’s believed Mrs Puttick was in her fifties and leaves family including two daughters.

Eileen Geeson has chosen to self publish on Amazon using CreateSpace.

She says: “I am in total control and you get a higher commission, but of course you have to do some of the work yourself. But when they go out on Amazon they have quite a ready market really.”

However, Eileen says before getting as far as that stage friends and family have been asked to read her manuscripts and give feedback. She says husband Roy is her biggest critic.

Eileen has four Standard Poodles and still shows and writes her columns for Dog World..

She is also kept busy in her role as vice-president of the Standard Poodle Club, which runs a championship and an open show each year.

Brothers in Arms – ISBN: 9781503320970