NFU communications adviser Alison Pratt has the facts.

We’ve all seen it: an old fridge or cooker, a few tyres, some garden clippings dumped behind a hedge or in a field gateway. To everyone who loves the countryside, and surely that’s all of us, dumping rubbish is a crime and yes, it is a criminal offence, too, punishable by stiff fines or even imprisonment. It’s called fly-tipping.

Unfortunately this awful menace is on the increase. A survey a couple of years ago found that there had been over 700,000 incidents of fly-tipping – that’s one every 44 seconds! And it is amazing what is dumped: everything from builders’ rubble and burned out cars, to industrial waste such as asbestos; all of it illegal, some of it very dangerous not just to us, but to livestock and wildlife and some of it incredibly polluting to the environment.

Whenever something’s dumped in the countryside, someone has to deal with it and if it’s on private land then it is usually the farmer or landowner who foots the bill. An NFU survey found that 67 per cent of farmers had had to dispose of fly-tipped rubbish, costing the industry an estimated £47 million.

So where does all this rubbish come from? Some is dumped just because the owner doesn’t know what to do with it, or perhaps the tip was closed, or they just couldn’t be bothered to dispose of it properly. Others are even more unscrupulous. There are ‘handymen’ or ‘gardeners’ or ‘scrap metal merchants’ who aren’t what they say they are – they’re cowboys. Unlicensed waste disposal operatives are there to make a quick buck and they’re not too fussy about what happens to your rubbish, either.

However, you can help prevent fly-tipping by making sure that someone who offers to do a job for you has a licence to dispose of any waste properly. If you trust an unlicensed operator and if they then dump your rubbish illegally, you will be liable under the law and could face large fines. Ask to see their licence and get a receipt for any goods taken away.

Or, do the job yourself: take waste to your nearest local authority disposal site, or arrange for collection of bulky items like fridges or cookers. Old furniture can often be donated to charities who will even collect it, or why not try selling or swapping your unwanted goods on the internet?

NFU’s ‘Love your Countryside’ campaign aims to raise awareness of fly-tipping and other threats to the beauty and safety of our countryside. Why not read more about our campaign at www.nfuonline.com/back-british-farming/love-your-countryside

For some time now, I have been wondering what plans, if any, have been made for the old Johnson Hospital site.

As far as I know, it was supposed to become a community centre of sorts, but nothing seems to have happened on that front.

The building is becoming increasingly derelict and I am reliably informed it is inhabited by squatters.

Either the council is aware and chooses to do nothing, or it needs to be aware and clear the site; presumably with no services connected, this is a health/fire risk.

Is the cynic in me wrong in supposing that the plan is to let the place become so run down that it becomes a danger and has to be pulled down, with the valuable land then made available for housing or in some other way used by a private developer, rather than a focus for the people of the town.

I do hope the Guardian or some of your readers can help.

It could be said that it was a sticky bun that lured Nigel Ryan into the teaching profession.

That was the reward given to Nigel as a Year 10 pupil when he finished off a Maths lesson for his teacher, who needed to rush off to set up the tuck shop ready for the break.

Many years later and the rewards have kept coming for Nigel, who retired yesterday as headmaster of Spalding Grammar School.

They haven’t been so obvious as a sticky bun, but more about the difference Nigel has made to the lives of students, staff and the school.

Nigel, who has continued to teach alongside his managerial responsibilities, says: “The rewards come on a daily basis when a student doesn’t understand something or can’t do a problem and you help them think about it in a different way and they can do it. Those rewards happen on a daily basis and that’s what teachers teach for. Obviously, I am going to miss that. You can’t replace that.”

In fact teaching wasn’t Nigel’s first career as he was sponsored by Courtaulds to go to Cambridge University, where he gained a degree in Metallurgy and Natural Science, and in return spent time in the company’s research department.

While he enjoyed the job, Nigel decided to pursue his greater interest in teaching and was all set to become a student again when his wife, Elaine, became pregnant with their first child, Louise. Their second daughter, Lorna, came along quickly, and they went on to have Kirsty, all of them within three years.

That meant a slight change of plan and instead of college Nigel began work as a physics teacher at a community college in Coventry, having to get to grips very quickly with the contrast between his own grammar school days and the reality of an inner city comprehensive of students of mixed ability, ethnic origin and discipline standards.

Importantly, however, what the new job gave him was “a full family life”. He says: “Being a teacher, you are there all the holidays, pretty much every evening, with the exception of occasional parents’ evenings.”

Elaine returned to her demanding job as a nurse, working evenings and weekends when the girls were small, and Nigel taking over bed-time duties.

Nigel’s career took him to schools in Birmingham, Kent – where both Nigel and Elaine come from – and Essex, and Bexley Grammar School in south east London, where he was deputy head.

Nigel took over as headmaster at Spalding Grammar School in 2004 and says: “This school is, for the vast majority of students, the biggest social grouping they come across and they enjoy the social aspect of the school. It makes a difference to them, as well as their education.”

Nigel has handed over to Steve Wilkinson, and he and Elaine – they are both 58 and both retired yesterday – have a new home on the North Yorkshire coast where they plan to pursue their interest in sports and spend time travelling in their motorhome. Nigel is planning to return to Spalding though, when he plans to improve on past performances in the old boys’ golf match!

Making a difference

Nigel Ryan leaves Spalding Grammar School a vastly improved educational establishment in terms of the improved facilities – three major building projects during his tenure provided new classrooms, library, drama and IT suites, as well as a state of the art business centre. A new atrium was built in the middle of the school, new staff room, 6th form block, and more, all done to preserve the Victorian school building while bringing facilities up to 21st century standards.

However, Nigel says one of the most rewarding parts of being a headteacher is appointing the staff.

He says: “If you get that right, everything else looks after itself. I have had the pleasure of appointing a whole range of fantastic staff during the time I have been here.

“I regard education as a caring profession and when I appoint teachers I am looking for people who are not just educated, but who care about students as individuals and are prepared to help develop and support them, and we have a great bunch of staff that are more than prepared to go the extra mile outside as well as inside the classroom.”

Council leader Gary Porter is to become a member of the House of Lords following an initial approach from Prime Minister David Cameron.

The new ‘job’ was confirmed in a phone call from a special parliamentary adviser at Number 10 on Tuesday – and Coun Porter and wife Karen celebrated that night with fish and chips from Jack’s Fish Bar in Holbeach Road, Spalding.

Coun Porter said: “The first approach was from the Prime Minister in June.

“It’s all been a bit surreal, really, I have tried to keep it out of my head.

“It was David Cameron himself. He said he was thinking about doing it, what did I reckon?

“I said ‘yes’ once I realised it was him and not someone winding me up.”

He would like to be Lord Porter of Spalding but his actual title will be decided at a meeting with an official from the House of Lords on Tuesday, September 8.

He said: “I think it will be Lord Porter of Spalding. There’s been more than one Porter in the Lords before so it’s Lord Porter of somewhere.

“I don’t think I could go for the whole of South Holland because that would encompass John Taylor’s area as he is Lord Taylor of Holbeach.

“My wife will be a Lady but she’s always been a lady ever since I met her.”

He said peerages aren’t like the honours system, where a reason is given.

“It’s not like an honour, they don’t tell you,” he said.

Coun Porter has already been made a CBE for his services to local government.

The former builder was also a shop steward with the Transport and General Workers’ Union – and claims his role as chairman of the Conservative Councillors Association means he’s “shop steward for all of the Conservative councillors in the country”.

He says: “My politics are pretty much the same as they have always been.

“Governments should get off people’s backs and let us get on with living our lives with as little interference as possible.”

Coun Porter says he will take work in the Lords seriously.

He said: “I am not a make-weight. People should know that by now.”

Coun Porter is also chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) and says he will divide his time between South Holland District Council, the LGA and the Lords “however I need to”.

At this time, he’s not aware of any specific job or ministerial role that might come his way in the House of Lords.

Coun Porter believes he wouldn’t have been offered the peerage without the hardworking teams of staff at South Holland and the LGA.

He said: “Nobody who has been part of the teams should think ‘he’s got it’. I haven’t. We have got it. It kind of is for the teams.”

South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes said: “Gary and I come from similar backgrounds and it’s just wonderful that in our country people can rise to the top of Government and to the House of Lords from wherever they start if they are determined enough and if they apply themselves.

“I don’t think there’s been any time in the history of Lincolnshire – and certainly in the history of this part of Lincolnshire – where we have had two members of the House of Lords and an MP all living in the heart of the Lincolnshire fens.”

Mr Hayes said he recruited Coun Porter to the Conservative Party from the Referendum Party in the 90s and Coun Porter has been his campaign manager at successive general elections as well as a good friend.

“I am delighted he’s been enobled,” Mr Hayes said. “He has got a distinguished career in local government and he has done remarkable things in South Holland and also made his name nationally where he is very well respected for the role he has played in the Local Government Association. This is great news for him and also the people of South Holland.”

Babies in the East of England to be offered vaccination against meningococcal group B (MenB) – a disease which can lead to meningitis

Public Health England (PHE) is hailing the start of a new vaccination programme, which offers young children protection against meningococcal group B (MenB) disease.

From today, September 1st, the MenB vaccination will be added to the NHS Childhood Immunisation Programme in England to help protect children against this devastating disease which can cause meningitis (an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) which are serious and potentially fatal illnesses.

Babies will be offered the MenB vaccine with the other routine vaccinations at two months, four months and 12-13 months of age. Vaccinating babies at these times helps protect them when they are most at risk of developing MenB disease. Infants under one year of age are most at risk of MenB and the number of cases peak at around five or six months of age.

In March 2014, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a national MenB immunisation programme for infants using a three-dose schedule. In March 2015, the programme, using Bexsero® vaccine, was announced.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at Public Health England said:

“This vaccine will help to save lives and prevent permanent disability. Meningococcal B disease can be devastating for babies and young children and it has cut many lives short and left young people disabled.

“The disease develops rapidly and early symptoms in babies and young children can include a high fever with cold hands and feet, vomiting and refusing to feed, agitation, drowsiness or being floppy or unresponsive, grunting or breathing rapidly or having an unusual high-pitched or moaning cry.

“A classic sign is pale, blotchy skin, and a red rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it. Additional symptoms include having a tense, bulging soft spot on their head (fontanelle), having a stiff neck and an aversion to bright lights or having convulsions or seizures.

“We must all remain alert to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease and seek urgent medical attention if there is any concern as the vaccine does not protect against all types of meningococcal disease.

“Be aware of all signs and symptoms and trust your instincts – don’t wait for a rash to develop before seeking urgent medical attention.”

Dr Ramsay added: “Bexsero has a good safety record, but Public Health England is also making parents aware of an increased risk of fever when the vaccine is given alongside other immunisations, and the need to purchase infant liquid paracetamol for the two and four month appointment visits.

“It’s important that parents use paracetamol following vaccination to reduce the risk of fever. The fever peaks around six hours after vaccination but is nearly always mild and gone within two days. The fever shows the baby’s body is responding to the vaccine, although the level of fever depends on the individual child and does not indicate how well the vaccine has worked – some infants may not develop a fever at all.

“We know that fever in young infants may cause some parents concern, but it’s important to be aware that it will be short-lived in nearly all cases. The vaccine will go on to help protect against MenB disease during a period when babies and young children are most at risk – we’ve all too often seen the disease result in severe disabilities, or tragically even death, causing devastation to our families and communities.

“The good news is that giving paracetamol reduces the chances of getting fever by more than a half, and also reduces the risk of irritability and discomfort, such as pain at the injection site, after vaccination.”

Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison said: “This is a landmark moment.

“Men B can be truly devastating and we know the suffering it can cause to families. Now, in our country, every new baby can get this free vaccine to protect them from this terrible disease.”

Chief Executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, Christopher Head, said: “We are delighted the MenB vaccine has been introduced as it has been at the top of this charity’s agenda for many years. We hope this vaccine will save many lives and spare countless families the trauma of seeing a loved one die or become seriously disabled because of MenB.

“This vaccine could potentially prevent up to 4,000 cases of meningococcal disease in children younger than 5 years in the UK. However, we must remind the public that there are still some forms of the disease which are not covered by vaccines so it is vital that people are still aware of the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia.”

Chief executive of Meningitis Now, Sue Davie, said: “We’re delighted to reach this milestone and see the vaccination programme protecting our newborn babies in England. This programme will save lives straight away and for years to come. We stand ready to support the roll out in any way we can.”

Kelly Mellor’s nine year old daughter Ellie Mae contracted meningococcal disease when she was just 11 months old. She said: “When Ellie Mae first became ill our worlds came crashing down around us. Our beautiful, healthy baby was suddenly purple from head to toe and we had no idea if she would pull through.

“Fortunately for us, Ellie is a fighter but her recovery has not been without trauma. Ellie has undergone 76 operations and lost both her legs and one arm.

“The launch of this vaccine is vital for making sure other families don’t have to go through what we have and I encourage all new mums to take up the vaccination with the other routine ones. Whilst Ellie is alive she is not without health problems and life is a constant uphill struggle.

“Ellie contracting meningitis has been life changing and has not just affected her, but the whole family. We can’t change the past but this vaccine can change people’s futures.”

The final stage of resurfacing work on Double Street in Spalding, which had been scheduled to take place on Sunday will now take place next Sunday (September 6) due to changes in the contractor’s programme.

The road closure will now be in place on September 6 instead.

Lincolnshire County Council is informing local residents of this change.

Planners are expected to give the green light to a solar farm on agricultural land outside Sutton St James tomorrow evening – despite a raft of 
objections.

Applicant Little Eau Solar wants to build the development at New Fen Dike, just over a mile from the edge of the village.

The company wants to install ground-mounted solar panels, transformer stations and an electricity sub-station on 12 hectares of arable land.

The development would have a lifespan of 25 years and the land could then be returned to agricultural use.

It would power around 939 homes and save approximately 2,714 tonnes of CO2 from being produced.

The site would be accessed directly from New Fen Dike at its junction with Goochgate.

Both Sutton St James and Sutton St Edmund parish councils are against the development, citing impact on the villages, infrastructure, roads and local landscape character.

The council has also received a detailed submission from the Little Eau Opposition Group.

They say there was not an adequate search for alternative sites, assessments carried out are not sound and the 25-year lifespan should not be a consideration.

Seventeen households have objected. Some of their concerns are the impact on nearby listed buildings and industrialisation of the area. It was also pointed out that a farm security fence application nearby was turned down as being “harmful to the rural character”.

They say farming land is unlikely to be restored, the scheme would be intrusive and the visual impact would be devastating.

Houses near the site would be adversely affected, they say, no consideration has been 
given to wildlife or the opinions of local residents.

There is also a feeling that if the scheme is granted, other solar farms will be approved, damaging and industrialising the landscape.

However, there have also been letters of support, citing the reduction in carbon emissions, the provision of jobs and the fact that the land will be returned to farming use.

In response to the objections, Little Eau Solar says the UK has legally binding targets to generate 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020 and claims “the cumulative landscape and visual impact will be negligible”.

In recommending approval, South Holland District Council’s principal planning officer says it is not considered that the adverse impacts outweigh the benefits of the scheme in terms of its production of renewable energy.

Conditions include that the scheme must be started within three years, everything must be removed from the site within six months of it closing and no vehicles used for installation of the development should use Goochgate or Sandy Gate.

Councillors will consider the plan at tomorrow’s planning committee meeting at the council offices in Spalding.

A partially-sighted multiple sclerosis (MS) sufferer was fatally injured when a car hit his mobility scooter as he crossed the road with his wife by his side.

Ian Clarke (59) was thrown from the scooter, which was left in bits, following the crash in London Road, Long Sutton, on Christmas Eve morning.

Magistrates heard Mr Clarke never spoke again and died in hospital on January 11.

David Bailey (71), of Roman Bank, Long Sutton, pleaded guilty to causing Mr Clarke’s death by driving his Kia Sorrento without due care and attention. The retired landworker admitted he hadn’t seen Mr Clark in the road. Boston magistrates handed Bailey an immediate driving ban at Wednesday’s hearing and adjourned sentence to September 21 for a probation report.

The court heard the crash site was three or four minutes from the Clarkes’ home and Mrs Clarke had told police: “The sound of the impact will haunt me forever.”

Members of Mr Clarke’s family sat immediately behind Bailey in court.

Bailey’s solicitor, Mike Alexander, said: “He’s got to live the rest of his life knowing what’s happened and knowing that he caused it. He hopes in due course they (the family) will forgive him, but he’s not expecting that. He’s well aware that he’s caused an extreme amount of pain in the family.”

The court heard the Clarkes used parked cars as a “shelter” to begin their road crossing towards the cemetery at about 10.30am.

Nathaniel Hartley, prosecuting, said they moved off when Mrs Clarke saw the road was clear.

He said: “Mr Clarke would have been to her right in his wheelchair. He must have been slightly behind her because Mrs Clarke wasn’t struck by the vehicle that came from her left (travelling from the direction of the town centre) – Mr Clark was.”

Mr Hartley said Mrs Clarke didn’t hear “screeching brakes or horns”, only the sound of “a very sudden impact”.

He said Mrs Clarke ran over to the driver, shouting words to the effect of “what have you done?” and Mr Bailey shouted words to the effect of “it’s not my fault, I didn’t see him”.

Mr Hartley told the court that one police officer attending the scene could barely see because the sun was so low – so he lowered his visor and cut his speed.

“He slowed down to 5mph just to negotiate that patch of sun,” said Mr Hartley.

But, in interview, Bailey denied being blinded by the sun.

Mr Alexander said other police at the scene hadn’t slowed, although they used their visors, and both visors were down in Bailey’s car.

The pensioner wasn’t speeding, hadn’t been drinking and passed an eyesight test at the scene.

Over half a million people (631,000) in the UK intend to use all or part of their pension to help repay their mortgage balance, according to Partnership.

The specialist insurer surveyed people aged 40 to 70 in 2014 and 2015, about how they intended to repay their mortgage. It found that while 71% will meet their obligations via monthly repayments, with 25% opting to do so via additional lump sum contributions, up to 9% plan to use either their entire pot or tax-free cash.

Andrew Megson, managing director of retirement at Partnership, said that while it is still surprising that over half a million people in the UK intend to use all or part of their retirement savings to repay their mortgage, it has fallen from over a million in 2014.

“This is fascinating as it suggests that the pension freedoms which allow people to access their entire pension in cash have encouraged people to take a more holistic view of how they use their pension rather than focusing on one-off expenditure. The work that the lenders have done in communicating with interest-only mortgage customers about their options and obligations is also likely to have had a positive impact as it will have encouraged more people to move to capital repayment.”

This follows research by Old Mutual, published earlier this week, which revealed almost one-third of retired people were still carrying debt at the point they gave up full time work. Research conducted on their behalf by YouGov amongst 1,649 UK adults found that the average amount of debt held at the point of retirement was £34,500, but almost 1 in 5 had debts of over £50,000 and almost one in ten had debts of over £100,000.

Mortgage debt is most common, with 21% of people still owing money on their house when they retire, while 14% owed money on credit or store cards.

Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Alan Hardwick has dismissed speculation that he will quit the post next May.

Mr Hardwick - who has endured a difficult time as the county’s first commissioner - must decide whether to decide to stand for re-lection on May 5.

Sources had indicated the former TV presenter was planning to stand down from his £60,000-a-year job.

However, in an exclusive interview, Mr Hardwick revealed he has not made any decision about his future.

He did confirm he would ‘make his mind up’ before the end of the year.

Mr Hardwick said: “I am aware of the speculation (about his future) but I honestly have not made up my mind. one way or the other.

“There are a lot of things to take into consideration.

“There are also a lot of very important decisions to make about policing in Lincolnshire - decisions that, quite honestly, are more important than my own future.

“We (the force) are responsible for 700,000 people.

“They are my priority.

“I know I will have to sit down and decide what to do but now is not the right time.

“I need to make time to talk to my wife and family - and to other people - before making a decision.

“We’re looking at Christmas - definitely by the end of the year.”

Mr Hardwick admitted he was aware many other PCCs had already made an announcement.

However, he stressed the majority of PCCs were attached to a specific political party and had to make an early decision.

He added: “I am totally independent and that means I don’t have to make a decision as early because I am not part of the political process.”

Mr Hardwick was elected as the county’s first PCC in November 2012.

He was something of a surprise choice ahead of his more politically experienced rivals - winning a second ballot with a majority of 4,135.

He hit the headlines early in 2013 when he suspended then ‘acting’ Chief Constable Neil Rhodes but refused to make his reasons public.

Mr Rhodes was eventually reinstated following an investigation which cost tax-payers an estimated £160,000.

Mr Hardwick was also asked to provide a written apology to Mr Rhodes - and to members of Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Panel.

Mr Rhodes and Mr Hardwick have always stressed they have an excellent working relationship.

They have been leading - and united - figures in the campaign to secure a fairer funding deal for the county’s police force.

If he does decide to stand for re-election, Mr Hardwick is certain to face a tough battle.

The Conservatives are said to be targeting the Lincolnshire post and are expected to announce their preferred candidate within the next month amid speculation their preferred choice will be a ‘prominent’ County Councillor.

A bridge in south Lincolnshire has been named as one of the best spots in the UK to enjoy a game of Poohsticks.

The zig zag footbridge crossing the Bourne Eau, in Bourne, is one of the top 12 places to enjoy the traditional English game made famous in 
AA Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories, according to tourism body VisitEngland.

In order to play, participants drop sticks over one side of a bridge before walking to the downstream side to see which one appears first.

The list of bridges was drawn up against strict Poohsticks criteria, taking into account river flow, bridge width and parapets, which need to be just high enough for children to peer over.

It also comes after engineer Dr Rhys Morgan claims to have found the formula for a winning stick to mark the release of a new book The Poohsticks Handbook; A Poohstickopedia.

Previously almost 60 per cent of Brits thought the game, which first appeared in the story The House at Pooh Corner in 1928, was all down to luck.

Not so according to Dr Morgan, who says the perfect Poohstick should be thick, dense and rough.

“Poohsticks is a timeless game. From its first mention in AA Milne’s 1928 classic, The House at Pooh Corner, to today, it remains a great way for families to spend time together and enjoy England’s great outdoors,” said Rebecca Lowe, head of PR at VisitEngland.

Other top spots for a game, alongside the iconic Poohsticks Bridge in Ashdown Forrest, are:

l Sheepwash Bridge, Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire 

l Morden Hall Park, 
London

l Heale Gardens, 
Salisbury, Wiltshire

l Packhorse Bridge, 
Watendlath, Cumbria

l Mottisfont, Romsey, Hampshire

l Little Wittenham Bridge, Abingdon, 
Oxfordshire

l Mathematical Bridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

l New Lower Bridge, Boscastle, Cornwall

l Cantlop Bridge, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

l Essex Bridge, Shugborough, Staffordshire

lHutton-le-Hole, Ryedale, North Yorkshire.

Police are warning animal lovers to be on their guard if they buy pets that are advertised for sale via popular online auction websites.

Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting centre, says it has noticed a rise in reports of people falling for internet scams involving the sale of pets, particularly puppies.

The fraudsters will place an advert of the pet for sale, claiming to have recently moved abroad and that they need to rehome the animal.

Once a sale is agreed and payment is made, usually by money transfer or bank transfer, the pet does not materialise.

The fraudster will usually ask for further advanced payments for courier charges, shipping fees or vet bills.

Police are offering the following advice to consumers:

Stay within the auction site’s guidelines. Be wary of paying fees via a money service bureau, such as MoneyGram and Western Union.

Consider conducting research on other information provided by the seller; for example, a mobile phone number or email address used by the seller could alert you to any negative information associated with this number online.

Request details of the courier company being used and conduct enquiries regarding the company.

Agree a suitable time to meet face to face to agree the purchase.

Be wary. If you think the purchase price is too good to be true, then this is probably an indication that it is.

If you believe that you have been a victim of a fraud involving the sale of a pet, you can report it online at {http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud|actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud|go to actionfraud.police.uk} or by telephone on 0300 123 2040.

Britons are offending commuters by manspreading, revelling in bants with their friends at beer o’clock, and having a brain fart while talking about the Grexit, but it’s NBD.

Those are just some of the 1,000 new words added to OxfordDictionaries.com in its latest quarterly update, which reveals current trends in the usage of language.

New entries include manspreading, when a man sits with his legs wide apart on public transport encroaching on other seats, bants, short for banter, and NBD, an abbreviation of no big deal.

Beer o’clock and wine o’clock, describe the appropriate time of day to start drinking the respective alcoholic beverages, and brain fart, a temporary lapse or failure to reason correctly, have also been added to the free online dictionary.

Hangry, an adjective used to show feelings of anger or irritability as a result of hunger, is another new entry. The word has seen its usage increase since 2012, with a big spike in April 2014 connected to an American study about low glucose levels making people cross, according to Oxford Dictionary’s language monitoring service.

Topical news terms have soared in popular usage. Grexit and Brexit, referring to the potential departure of the UK and Greece from the EU, and deradicalization, the action of causing a person with extreme views to adopt more moderate ones, are also included in the update.

Other new additions include bruh, describing a male friend, pocket dial, meaning to accidentally call someone while your phone is in a pocket, and mkay, representing the informal pronunciation of OK.

New words, senses, and phrases are added to OxfordDictionaries.com once editors have gathered enough independent evidence from a range of sources to be confident that they have widespread currency in English, but do not gain an entry into the Oxford English Dictionary unless continued historical use can be shown.

New OxfordDictionaries.com entries:

awesomesauce - to describe something as excellent

bants - short for banter

bruh - describing a male friend

Grexit and Brexit - the potential departure of the UK and Greece from the EU

hangry - adjective used to show feelings of anger or irritability as a result of hunger

manspreading - when a man sits with his legs wide apart on public transport encroaching on other seats

mic drop - instance of deliberately dropping or tossing aside one’s microphone at the end of a performance or speech one considers to have been particularly impressive

mkay - the informal pronunciation of OK

NBD - abbreviation of no big deal

pocket dial - to accidentally call someone while your phone is in a pocket

rage-quit - to ‘angrily abandon an activity or pursuit that has become frustrating

weak sauce - anything of a poor or disappointing standard

Fiona McPherson, senior editor of Oxford Dictionaries, said the addition of multiple slang words did not represent a dumbing down of English, but showed “creative” use of language.

She said: “There’s always been new slang words. I just think we are more aware of them because of the ways in which we consume and live our lives now.

“We are bombarded with more and more avenues where those sort of words are used and we just think that there are more of them. I don’t necessarily think that’s the case.

“From my point of view, as a lexicographer, it’s not really about dumbing down, it’s more creative ways that people are using language.”

Find out more new words from {http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/08/new-words-update-manspreading-mic-drop/|http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/08/new-words-update-manspreading-mic-drop/|http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2015/08/new-words-update-manspreading-mic-drop/}.

Rain didn’t dampen enthusiasm of visitors to Gosberton Baptist Church ... they simply poured through the doors to admire the stunning floral and craft displays and enjoy the entertainment.

Minister Steve Weatherly-Barton said the church had expected dire attendance on what was a grim Bank Holiday weekend outside, but at one point numbers were so great that “the lovely ladies who were doing the catering we saying we need more food!”


On Saturday, there was a full-house for the U3A Singers and the church was just as busy for an appearance by Ann Warren, daughter of Gosberton vicar the Rev Ian Walters, who entertained with solo dance and puppetry.


Mr Weatherly-Barton said profits will be used to finance a scheme whereby the church will become more deeply involved in the community life of the village. Pictured are, back – Annie Weatherly-Barton, Marlene and David Twelvetree, Trudi Fox; front - Des and Renee Curtiss. SG290815-105TW

The cost of basic food and non-alcoholic drink in supermarkets may be rising a lot faster than previously thought.

A cross-section of everyday items, including tea bags, bananas, potatoes and milk, went up in price by an average of 8% over the past year, according to new figures piloted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Other goods were found to have risen even faster in price, with a kilogram of cheddar cheese going up by 15% and a 500g packet of dry spaghetti or pasta by 19%.

The figures cover the period June 2014 to June 2015, and have been released as part of an ongoing project by the ONS to find new ways of monitoring the cost of items in the “basket of goods” - the list of products used to calculate inflation.

The new data has been compiled using a process called “web scraping”.

A special computer programme scans the websites of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose every day at 5am, recording the prices for each of the 35 items in ONS inflation basket.

Around 6,500 prices are collected each day, which adds up to roughly 200,000 a month, a much larger number that that gathered by the traditional approach used for calculating the consumer price index (CPI) rate of inflation.

For example, while the CPI is based on 140 prices for a bottle of whisky on a specific day each month, the new method draws on over 6,000 quotes over the course of every calendar month.

The new figures suggest recent supermarket “price wars” may not have had a consistent impact across the country.

The ONS has linked falls in food and non-alcoholic drink prices to current low levels of inflation, including a CPI rate of just 0.1% in July.

It also points out that the new data should not be directly compared with the rate of inflation, however .

This is due to the way the figures have been compiled, in particular the variations between prices collected every day (what is known as a “chain index”) and the average cost across a fixed period (the “unit price”).

While the chain index for the 12 months to June suggests a rise in everyday food and non-alcoholic drink of 7.9%, the unit price suggests an increase of between 1.3% and 1.8% - a difference described by the ONS as “striking”.

The cost of a small individual yoghurt rose by 13% according to the weekly chain index, but fell between 3% when measured by unit price.

And while the cost of one packet of 80 tea bags went down by 4% on the day-to-day measure, the unit price showed a rise of just under 3%.

The difference is due to the way the unit price is calculated, which discounts data for items when a price is not available in all periods of comparison - for example, if a supermarket website fails to display a price on a particular day.

This “significantly reduces the number of prices used in the calculation of the index,” according to the ONS.

But the inconsistency between the different measurements could mean that shoppers across the country are seeing a greater variety of day-to-day prices rises and special offers than those reflected in monthly figures, including the official rate of inflation .

This would support the findings of a recent report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) which called for more data sources to be used in the compilation of consumer price statistics, including those from supermarket websites.

Examples from the ONS figures, showing the change in price of everyday items between June 2014 and June 2015, measured by the weekly chain index compared with the unit price:

:: Semi-skimmed milk: up 2% (chain index), down 2% (unit price)

:: Red wine (European, 75cl): up 14% (chain index), down 4% (unit price)

:: Packet of plain biscuits, 200-300g: up 8% (chain index), down 1% (unit price)

:: Freshly chilled orange juice: up 9% (chain index), down 1% (unit price)

:: Dry spaghetti or pasta, 500g: up 19% (chain index), up 1% (unit price)

:: Cola-flavoured drink, 2l bottle: up 14% (chain index), no change (unit price)

:: Cheddar per kg: up 15% (chain index), down 7% (unit price)

:: Bananas, per kg: up 6% (chain index), down 18% (unit price)

:: New potatoes, per kg: up 7% (chain index), down 2% (unit price)

Organisers of the Seasons and Celebrations August Bank Holiday flower festival at Crowland Abbey are delighted rain didn’t stop play.

More than 1,000 visitors poured through the doors to enjoy some fantastic floral displays created by a 30-strong team of arrangers.

Among the visitors was South Holland and The Deepings MP John Hayes, who never misses, and it’s hoped the turnout from the public will produce a big profit to help towards the upkeep of the abbey.

Val Capes, who chairs the abbey’s flower festival committee, said there were some beautiful arrangements to mark celebrations such as Mothering Sunday, Father’s Day, Twelfth Night, and Mardi Gras.

As well as the stunning arrangements inside the abbey, visitors were able to enjoy home-made refreshments, some very well-supported stalls and a grand raffle.

There was a big marquee for the refreshments, which kept everyone nice and dry.

There was also a chance for the public to see the new visitor centre, which features the history of the abbey with an audio system, pictures and some old masonry.

The four-day festival came to a close on Monday with a special Songs of Praise.

Val is one of the arrangers who has been supporting festivals at the abbey with her skills for 25-30 years.

She said: “The abbey is very important to Crowland – it’s the focal point for everybody.

“There’s always something going on there, weddings and things like that. I think people would miss it if it wasn’t there.”

While the community group AMPG is very much focused on the past, it is also keen to keep its thoughts on the present – and the future.

Projects have included the Great Village Selfie, in which everyone was asked to take a photo of themselves and their homes during August for a mass village digital record.

St Peter and St Paul Church is welcoming the public on September 13 for Heritage Open Days and, on September 23, there is a Crafty Coffee Club (10am to noon), which will be held every fourth Wednesday.

On Sunday, September 13 (noon to 4pm) the church is holding Medieval Majesty, an afternoon of medieval music and crafts featuring music from the Lincoln Waites and traditional craft demonstrations from the Company of Artisans. Activities for children will include medieval dressing up. Refreshments will be available in the village hall.

AMPG members welcome offers of help from others as there are a number of volunteer roles available, such as Algarkirk Ambassadors who help out with events, and the Research Team. Phone 01529 461499 for an informal chat.

Putting St Peter and St Paul’s Church at the heart of the village of Algarkirk has much wider ramifications.

Work to turn the Grade 1 listed building into a community centre as well as a place of worship means it has also become the focus for learning heritage skills that can be transferred to other ancient buildings.

The grade 1 listed church has some special features, such as beautiful stained glass windows and internal decoration.

However, it faced closure in 2010 until Algarkirk Major Project Group (AMPG) was formed with the aim of repairing and preserving the structure. At the same time it was turned it into a centre where the heritage skills needed to protect the site could be shared with other people with an interest in ancient churches and buildings.

Churchwarden Cheryllyn Humphreys, who is also part of AMPG, explained: “We have basically got a church which is architecturally one of the most important in Britain, but nowadays church attendance has diminished so we are trying to create a community centre so the church is really at the heart of the village in every sense. As we examine windows and stonework we have a number of training days paid for by the Heritage Lottery, not just for people who come to church, but for others who can undertake training, all completely free, and take it back to their own churches, so it’s passing on good practice.”

The latest of these training days was a Churchyard Survey Day at which people learned surveying and recording skills.

As well as being useful for preserving churchyards, Cheryllyn pointed out that the skills learned could be useful for people interested in genealogy and local history.

She said: “People don’t usually think of churchyards as a source of local history, but you can track the fall and rise of a particular family and see how at one point there was great wealth because the gravestones are elaborate. You can also look at the condition of the gravestones and see what’s damaging them and see what steps you can take to protect them.”

More Heritage Lincolnshire courses are being held on September 9 (10am to 3pm) an Introduction to lime mortars; September 15 (10am to 4pm) Looking after historic paint finishes; September 26 (10am to 3pm) Looking after stained glass; and October 10 (10am to 4pm) Introduction to stone masonry (carving).

To book a place on a free course email heritageskillscentre@lincolnshire.gov.uk with details of the courses you would like to attend and your name, phone number, home postcode and date of birth. Courses have limited capacity so act quickly.

Police say a boy of three injured in a collision at Sutton Bridge yesterday (Wednesday) was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, where his condition is described as stable.

The air ambulance and emergency services attended the scene of the collision between the boy and a silver Nissan X-Trail.

The accident happened just after 4pm in Railway Lane South and the road remained closed until 7pm.

Wednesday 17.25: Police are in attendance at a serious collision in Sutton Bridge.

Police were called to Railway Lane South just after 4.05pm this afternoon (Wednesday) to a report of a collision involving a young child and a silver Nissan X-Trail.

The air ambulance was in attendance and police were still on the scene shortly before 6pm.

The road has been closed and shortly before 5pm police were advising motorists to avoid the area for the next two-three hours.

A Long Sutton business is celebrating after being honoured in this year’s Great Taste food and drink awards.

Three Counties Deli and Coffee Shop, in Hoddins Way, picked up a pair of awards in the annual scheme, described by organisers The Guild of Fine Food as ‘the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink awards’.

Working in small teams, the judges blind-tasted 10,000 food and drink products this year across 49 judging days from April through to early July, awarding one, two, or three stars where worthy.

The panel of judges included Masterchef judge and restaurant critic Charles Campion, TV presenter and cook Aggie Mackenzie, Great British Bake Off winner Frances Quinn, and food buyers from leading stores.

Three Counties Deli and Coffee Shop received two one-star awards for its handmade, rare-breed sausage roll – one for the spicy variety, and another for the regular.

It means the rolls are now able to proudly carry the little gold and black Great Taste logo.

Kirsty Bowen, co-owner, said: “After receiving some amazing feedback from our customers at events and farmer’s markets we decided to enter the awards to see how we fared.

“We were delighted to hear we had won and we really hope this will increase our customer base at our newly opened deli and coffee shop.”

She added: “We will be celebrating by hosting a tasting event at our shop very soon.”