A Market Deeping butcher has come away with a golden haul from the 2017 Butchers Q Guild Smithfield Awards.

Grasmere Farm Traditional Butchers won six golds, for their Rutland garlic sausage, whole haslet, dry-cured back bacon, dry-cured smoked back bacon, dry-cured streaky bacon and gluten-free premium pork sausage.

This is Grasmere’s first year as a member of the Q Guild and they also took eight silvers out of the 16 products they entered.

Grasmere’s founder Stuart Stables said: “All our products are made using traditional methods, ensuring high quality products with a great depth of flavour.

“Grasmere Farm’s first sausage was a Lincolnshire sausage made to a recipe supplied by a retired Lincolnshire butcher.

“However, the Rutland sausage was our second, having been commissioned by a local hotelier to develop it for them.

“This process of development taught us our ‘art and craftsmanship’ of sausage-making that has enabled us to build our business on an enviable sausage reputation.”

The 2017 Smithfield Awards attracted a record entry of almost 600 individual products from 61 butcher businesses

Winners were announced at a ceremony in Ironmongers Hall, London, and presented by acclaimed British food writer and food critic Tom Parker Bowles.

You may be wondering why I am writing to you about flooding in Spalding when I live 100 miles to the south. Spalding is my hometown and although I left in 1960, I have always kept in touch, have family there and visit regularly.

I was quite surprised by the feature in the February 9 edition of the Spalding Guardian. Not so much by its alarmist nature, but by the fact that a planning application for a new house in the garden of a property in Halmer Gate fell foul of the Environment Agency (EA). To quote the paper: “The EA insists ‘ground’ floor living space of that new house must be 1.8m (5’10”) above the level of the land outside.” I feel sure you have seen it.

The paper quite rightly asked: “How soon could Spalding flood?” The EA responded about ‘many factors’ being at play and said that it was impossible to say. Nevertheless it emphasised that half of Lincolnshire is situated in a flood plain. It was silent as to what form the defences took and whether they were going to sit back and let them become ineffective. Mention was made of climate changes next century.

By contrast, your column on February 14 was optimistic. I fully appreciate that we must avoid building in areas that are known high-risk flood areas. We must ensure that people are going to be safe. However, will the EA insist that the homes planned west of the town have their living quarters 1.8 metres above the ground on the basis of a hypothetical worse scenario?

Is this a case of over-enthusiastic personnel at the EA, or has the world really gone mad?

After reading your article in the Free Press on Tuesday concerning the A17/A151 Peppermint Junction at Holbeach, it is very interesting that Lincolnshire County Council believe a roundabout will offer “significant safety improvements”.

Why do they not think the same about the two junctions on the A16 at Crowland?

It would be interesting to know how many serious accidents have occurred at Peppermint junction compared to the two junctions at Crowland since they were opened.

John Beeken

via email

An arts and mental health project for people in South Holland with depression and anxiety has achieved a threefold increase on its investment, according to a report.

Taking pART, a series of free creative workshops held at Spalding Library as part of the Transported Arts programme also brought a “significant rise in happiness levels” for those who took part.

A report on the programme by Transported, produced in association with Cumbria-based arts research firm MB Associates and artsNK of Sleaford, also found that the project had changed people’s “perception of the arts”.

Marion Sander of arts NK, who developed the arts and mental health project, said: “Taking pART was an Arts and Health project that had a great impact on all who were involved in it.

“This went from the management team, library staff and evaluation team, to the artists who delivered the workshops and, of course, the participants themselves.

“Beyond raising awareness of how art can have a positive effect on mental health issues, Taking pART has helped artsNK and Transported to forge ongoing relationships with participants, artists and libraries.

“It has also helped develop new partnerships with the health and wellbeing sector.”

The report itself revealed that the programme, which ran in Spalding and Boston between January and July 2016, cost £24,000, with a return of £79,000.

Almost half of the money came from the Mental Health Promotion Fund, part of Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT), with the rest provided by Arts Council England.

The report said: “National research shows that for the general population, the happiness that the arts can engender is equivalent to good feelings from a £1,000 pay rise.

“Positive social encounters are even more highly valued and this is where much of the value of the programme lies.”

A heart surgery survivor working in Spalding has urged NHS leaders to “come to their senses” over plans which could leave her facing a 200-mile round trip for appointments.

Estate agent Chantilly “Tilly” Milverton (21) has described her “upset and distress” at proposals to shake up congenital heart disease (CHD) services in England.

Families in South Holland relying on the East Midlands CHD Centre at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, 60 miles from Spalding, face an extra 40-mile trip to Birmingham under the plans by NHS England.

Chantilly, who “flatlined” during heart surgery at Glenfield Hospital in June 2012, said: “My connection with Glenfield is very strong and I feel very upset and distressed that these services are in the balance.

“I’m disappointed that the plans have been made by people who have neither experienced or been unfortunate to have to use Glenfield.

“I sincerely hope that NHS leaders come to their senses and put a stop to this.

“Don’t they realise children’s lives are at risk and their future outcomes could be disrupted, both physically and emotionally?

Chantilly’s plea has the backing of Coun Christine Talbot, Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Lincolnshire, who said: “People in Lincolnshire who have used these life-saving services are rightly passionate about making sure they are saved.

“The Health Scrutiny Committee have been fighting this battle for five years and we will be taking a full part in the consultation which has just been announced.

“We do not believe NHS England has thought through the full implications of stopping these services for very sick children and babies in Lincolnshire and across the East Midlands.”

Professor Huon Gray, National Clinical Director for Heart Disease at NHS England said: “It is our job to organise services so that every adult and child with congenital heart disease in this country gets not just safe or good care, but excellent care.

“No final decisions have been made and whether or not our proposals are carried out in the way we have suggested is subject to the outcome of public consultation.”

Concern of the future of CHD services at Glenfield Hospital has also reached Westminster.

John Hayes, MP for South Holland and the Deepings, said: “Glenfield Hospital is really important to my constituents because people with acute and complex health conditions tend to be treated there.

“We make a lot of fuss, and rightly so, about local services.

“But everybody accepts that when you have a serious condition, it’s necessary to go to a highly specialised place like Glenfield and, as such, it’s an important resource that needs to be retained.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “We have commissioned NHS England to find out what is the public’s opinion about the future of CHD services.

“But it’s very much an operational matter and it will be doctors who will make the final decision because it’s the clinicians who will know best.

“We trust their clinical judgement, but that will be based on the public consultation and until we get to the stage when that has been completed, there is nothing we can say.”

St Norbert’s Catholic Primary School is in the top three per cent of primary schools in England for pupil progress in the three Rs.

The Spalding school has just received a letter of congratulations from schools minister Nick Gibb MP, a letter headteacher Joe Burns describes as “the icing on the cake” following a string of outstanding achievements.

The minister’s letter recognises the progress pupils make between the end of Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 – from age seven to 11 – in reading, writing and maths.

He congratulates the school for the “very high level of progress” pupils are making.

His letter to Mr Burns ends with the words: “Thank you for your hard work and professionalism in producing such high standards and congratulations again to you and your staff for all you have achieved.”

Mr Burns said: “This is a tremendous accolade and reflects the dedication, skills and commitment of everyone involved at St Norbert’s.

“St Norbert’s is an extremely caring community, with teachers and other adults who work very hard for the young people we serve.

“While we do not do what we do with the intention of receiving recognition for our efforts, when such recognition does arrive, it is greatly appreciated. We are extremely proud of our school, and its pupils, and are determined to maintain these high standards in the future,”

Mr Gibb previously wrote to the school to congratulate it on its excellent results in the 2016 phonics screening check, which placed St Norbert’s in the top eight per cent of schools in England for how well pupils in Year 1 learn to read.

St Norbert’s carried off the major prize of the night at the 2016 Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian Education Awards when it was named Primary School of the Year.

In September 2015 we reported St Norbert’s had been awarded Ofsted’s top rating, that of outstanding, having earlier that year been judged outstanding for its religious life by inspectors from the Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Education Service.

The double triumph was all the more remarkable as more than six out of every ten pupils at the school has English as an additional language.

• If your school has good news please email lynne.harrison@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Retailers in Donington are still finding their feet five months after the village’s food store was virtually destroyed by ram-raiders.

The effects of an attempt to rip a cash machine from the wall outside the Co-operative store in Market Place, Donington, last September, has unexpectedly hit shops in the village because of a fall in shoppers.

But Debbie Hood, of Corner House Flowers in Market Place, is leading the fightback by turning her shop into something that is far more than just a florist.

Debbie said: “The Co-op ATM raid has had a major effect on the village and we’ve been working quite closely with (Donington parish and South Holland district councillor) Jane King to try and get things going again.

“The concern is over when the Co-op store will come back and the time it’s taking for it to return to the village.

“Gradually, we’re hearing from other shops that they are struggling in the same way.

“For example, we were quieter at Christmas when it’s normally one of our busiest times of the year.”

However, Debbie’s concern for the fall in shoppers around Donington is outweighed by the fast-approaching fifth anniversary of Corner House Flowers which falls on St George’s Day, April 23.

What started out as a “lifestyle change” after Debbie gave birth to her son has become an “all kinds of everything” village shop, just like the title of Ireland’s winning entry for the 1970 Eurovision Song Contest.

Debbie said: “I worked in insurance for 23 years but when I had my son, I decided on a lifestyle change and worked from my home in Quadring.

“There hadn’t been a flower shop in Donington for a number of years so I joined up with a flower wholesaler who lived in the village and worked from home for ten to 15 years.

“As we were both local and in the flower trade, we decided to open a shop together.

“But when the wholesaler left Donington, I just carried on with it because I thought there was an opening in the market.”

A year later, Debbie’s shop found its way into the Good Florist Guide, a web-based directory of the finest florists in the UK.

Debbie said: “We have a lot of loyal customers for whom we try and offer a reasonable service, at good value and with longer lasting flowers.

“We also sell greetings cards, helium ballons, gift hampers and chocolate bouquets which can be delivered to our customers, instead of flowers.”

The shop is open from 10am until 4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a 2pm closing time on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Debbie is assisted at the shop by volunteers Maureen Pritchard and Eileen Pearce who also runs Browntoft House Bed and Breakfast in Donington.

Maureen, who lives in Donington, said: “I wanted to do something to help in the community and Debbie took me on for a few days a week.

“If someone says they want something, Debbie will do her utmost to get it, even if it’s not flowers.

“Any flowers we do sell, we can gift wrap them free of charge as we’d sooner go the extra mile for someone and offer them that extra bit of service.”

No matter how soon a Co-operative store returns to Donington, Debbie has big plans of her own for Corner House Flowers.

Expansion of the shop to stock babywear, jewellery, handbags and scarves, along with the introduction of ice cream sales, are just two of the ideas in the pipeline.

Debbie said: “We don’t want to be just a florist shop and we’d like to diversify into something different.

“We’re looking to buy the building and expand out to the back so we can serve what is quite a big catchment area, including Bicker, Swineshead, Spalding and Boston.”

Debbie has an ally in her concerns about the impact on Donington of last September’s raid at the Co-operative Store.

Annica Clark, of Clark Family Eyecare in Donington and the subject of last week’s Support Our Shops feature, said: “We have been affected by the loss of the Co-op store.

“Due to the lack of visitors to Market Place in the village, we’ve noticed that there isn’t as many people walking around and, therefore, they must be shopping elsewhere.”

Debbie said: “We do rely on the fact that customers like to support their local shops, where they can, and there’s always been quite a variation of shops in Donington.”

Next week’s featured business will be Four Boys Village Stores in Whaplode Drove.

A teenage girl was airlifted to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham on Sunday after falling from her horse in Spalding and injuring her back.

The incident happened at 12.35pm and the Magpas Air Ambulance enhanced medical team assessed the patient, provided her with advanced pain relief and airlifted her to Queen’s, where she was in a stable condition upon arrival.

Bourne Police have issued an appeal for information after suspicious men were seen looking at caravans parked on people’s driveways in the town.

The men were using a white Peugeot van with the registration starting NX12. Anyone with information should call police on 101.

Donations to buy new metal shutters for Cowbit Village Stores now total £710.

The shop was targeted in a £1,000 cigarettes and alcohol raid on Sunday, February 19 and now villagers are trying to raise £3,000 to buy metal shutters to stop thieves raiding the store.

Irresponsible dog owners are being reminded to ‘Bag it Bin it’ as part of a new campaign launched by South Holland District Council.

The authority’s dog warden Rachel Thompson has been provided with stencil signs and spray cans and will be spraying temporary brightly-coloured ‘Bag it Bin it’ logos on paths in areas across the district that have received high reports of dog fouling. This is in addition to her normal patrols.

The initial focus will be on paths and passageways near schools and other community areas.

The campaign is being promoted through new signs and stickers, helping to raise awareness of the importance of bagging dog poo and putting it in bins.

Coun Anthony Casson, the council’s portfolio holder for public protection, said: “The issue of dog fouling in the district concerns residents and is something we are looking to tackle.

“‘Bag it Bin it’ is all about raising awareness of the need for dog owners to act responsibly and properly dispose of their pet’s mess.

“The message sprayed on pavements looks striking and shows we are taking action. We hope that together with the signs and stickers it will persuade irresponsible dog owners to change their habits.

“Similar schemes have worked in other areas, with councils finding that sprayed messages on pavements shames irresponsible owners and leads to a reduction in fouling.”

South Holland District Council would like to remind residents that anyone who does not clear up their dog’s mess may be committing an offence under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and can be liable to a maximum penalty of £1,000.

Dog owners are advised to take plastic bags with them on walks and dispose of them in any red dog bin or refuse bin.

Residents can also report dog fouling in the district online at www.sholland.gov.uk/article/4051/Dog-Fouling or by calling 01775 761761.

Air shows featuring the wing walking Utterly Butterly girls have inspired a Holbeach woman to match their daring at a Lincolnshire airfield in May.

Sue Barber (58) has saved up the £500 needed to pay for the flight on a vintage Stearman aircraft so that every single penny given in donations can go to her chosen good cause, Holbeach Hospital.

Sue works in accountancy at Salway and Wright’s Holbeach branch and calls the cash she earns at her other job, bookkeeping for the town’s family-run ice cream firm, Laddies, her “mad money” because it is perfect for saving up to fund adventures like her chosen flight of fancy.

In the past, Sue’s adventurous streak has seen her do a parachute jump, abseil down the walls of Lincolnshire’s historic Tattershall Castle and ride in a hot air balloon.

Sue said: “Ever since I saw the Utterly Butterly girls, I’ve always wanted to wing walk. I watched them and thought I would so love to do that.

“I thought it would be a good idea to raise some money for charity at the same time and Holbeach Hospital seemed like a good choice because it’s not funded by the NHS. They need our support and it’s local.”

The wing walk flight, booked through Into the Blue, will happen at Wickenby Airfield.

Sue will receive a full, pre-flight briefing and training, which will include detailed instructions on use of the rig and belts that will allow her to stand on top of the wing.

The training also involves learning hand signals because the wing walker can’t hear the pilot when they are in flight.

The actual flight takes about ten minutes.

Among spectators on the day will be Sue’s mum and daughter, Ed (88) and Brieanna (24).

So far Sue has collected donations in a Pikachu money box, fashioned after one of the Pokemon characters, but she is aiming to set up an appeal online so people can donate to Holbeach Hospital if they so wish.

You can also make donations at the Holbeach Hospital charity shop in High Street.

• Are you doing something to raise money for a good cause? Email your news to lynne.harrison@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Tesco at Holbeach will hold a big fundraiser this week for cerebral palsy sufferer Alice Bates as staff bid to make another of her birthday wishes come true.

The staff have pledged to raise money so Alice (10) can go to Disneyland Paris with her mum and dad, Charlotte and Andy, and her three sisters and two brothers.

On Friday and Saturday the team from Tesco will be cycling on a static bike, holding a tombola and raffle, and running a cake stall.

It is also planned to have two of Disney’s greatest stars on hand, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, courtesy of Xtra Mile Entertainment, as well as characters from Paw Patrol.

Alice’s family asked her to make ten wishes for her tenth birthday.

Wonderful Lincolnshire Free Press readers made Alice’s greatest wish come true by donating money for a therapy play lodge.

Alice has faced life-threatening health issues and the lodge will play a major part in enabling Alice to stay well.

The lodge has now been delivered to Alice’s Long Sutton home and it is due to have an official opening before the courageous little girl gets to work with her specialist therapy equipment.

Its delivery means there’s space for additional exercise equipment.

Charlotte told us: “It is going to be life changing for Alice. Alice is going to have access to the equipment she needs to keep her healthy and promote her independence – and be able to use it enjoyably.

“We now have the space to ensure that her therapies are delivered effectively several times a day.”

Charlotte has thanked everyone who made the lodge dream come true.

Police across South Holland and the Deepings have one less vehicle to worry about in their fight against illegal hare coursing.

A Honda CR-V, seized by police in Deeping St James last September when exactly 100 reports of hare coursing were received by Lincolnshire Police, was crushed under powers brought in by the Coalition Government in 2011. The crushing “ceremony” on Thursday came just a week after farmers met the new Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police, Bill Skelly, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Marc Jones, and several county MPs to discuss the “rising menace” of hare coursing. 
A South Holland farmer, who asked not to be named, said: “It went pretty well and the new Chief Constable didn’t try to take any position at all. bluff his way through or try to make out that he knew more than he did.

“He spent most of the time listening but after that, Mr Skelly said he would take hare coursing very seriously and that he got the message of police having come up short.

“Already, we’ve seen a vast improvement in both the amount of police response time and the seriousness with which they take hare coursing.

“But we shouldn’t underestimate the opposition as the hare coursing element have already upped their game by finding out what the police can and can’t cope with.

“Immediate action by Lincolnshire Police, since the meeting, has yielded immediate results.

“But that’s only as good as for how long they can sustain it.”

Complacency was in very short supply during the car crushing which was witnessed by the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Coun Stuart Tweedale, Assistant Chief Constable Paul Gibson and police officers on the frontline in the fight against hare coursing.

Police Constable Nick Willey, Lincolnshire Police’s respresentative on the National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: “We’ve been inundated this season, with a marked increase in hare coursing incidents, and we’ve been particularly rushed off our feet.

“But as a force, we made a decision to start seizing the dogs and that has upped the ante a bit.

“For me, it’s about working together and there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to train up officers in order to concentrate on rural crime during their normal policing duties.

“We do tend to get a few dangerous driving incidents involving hare coursers, whereas before they would stop and we would deal with them.

“The hare coursing figures are high, without a doubt, and, as a force, we’ve had criticism in relation to certain aspects of it, some of it unfounded.

“The new Chief Constable and PCC have both recognised that hare coursing is a major issue, criminals involved in what is utter criminality.

“Lincolnshire is a big county and there’s only so much you can do, so I’ll accept every criticism we get.

“We don’t always get things right all the time, but people like myself are passionate about the hare coursing issue and things are very positive.

“Dispersal orders (where police can tell a person to leave the area and not return within a certain time) are working and we’re having enquiries from our counterparts in other parts of the country about hare coursers.”

Another weapon at the disposal of Lincolnshire Police is the power to seize vehicles they suspect are being used in a way that “causes alarm, harassment or distress”.

This includes any vehicle being driven by someone who does not have a proper driving licence or insurance and drives “dangerously, illegally or is obstructively parked, broken down or abandoned”, according to the law.

Mr Gibson said: “It’s very clear to us that hare coursing has a really negative effect on how people feel in rural communities.

“What we have to do is prioritise all the different services we provide to all different parts of the county. “However, we have changed our plans slightly in that we have dedicated officers, an analyst and an anti-social behaviour (ASB) officer to tackle this problem.

“We also stand by our neighbourhood policing and response officers who are equpiied to deal with hare coursers, as well as being really creative in the use of ASB legislation.”

During a day of action last weekend, four men who were caught hare coursing in Holbeach St Marks were warned that two vehicles they used could be seized if they were found to be breaking the law in the county again.

Mr Jones said: “The thing that’s been great is the willingness of the police to try and tackle hare coursing.

“It’s having an impact and we’re looking at new and innovative ways to deal with it.”

Well-known Holbeach character Annie Limming has celebrated her 101st birthday.

The former shopkeeper was joined by family and staff at 
Holbeach Hospital, which she has called home for the past eight years.

Annie was a familiar face to shoppers at JW Limming pet and garden supplies in Fleet Street, Holbeach, from the day it was opened by her late husband Jack in 1960 until her retirement 25 years later.

Jack and Annie were married for almost 40 years until his death in 1977 and they had three children, Patrick, Rosie and Jackie (now Ewers). Annie also has two grandchildren and a great grandchild.

Annie was born into a farming family at midnight on Thursday, February 24, 1916, the youngest of five children living in Holbeach St Johns.

She lived there until she married Jack at the age of 21. During and after World War Two, she worked as a nurse in various hospitals until Jack opened Limmings after converting the couple’s living room into a shop for farmers and growers.

Her children claim the secret to her longevity is down to her hardy upbringing, including drinking fresh unpasteurised milk straight from the farm, being persistently stubborn and a lifetime of hard work and graft.

Annie used to go out in her 70s and help ‘old folk’ younger than herself with their gardening.

She was very active right up to her early 90s and has always helped people; never thinking of herself as on ‘old person.’ She also somewhat goes against 
current health advice and has always drunk full fat cream milk and very little water.

Her children also put her long life down to the excellent care she has received at Holbeach Hospital since becoming a resident in 2009.

She is currently the hospital’s second oldest resident. Manager Maxine Winch said “Annie still likes playing cards and greatly enjoys the entertainment and music and movement sessions.”

Police are appealing for information about an assault that occurred at a property in Beck Bank, Quadring Fen, around 9.40pm on Tuesday, February 21.

A 55 year-old man was injured during the incident.

Anyone who may have seen a vehicle leaving the area, or who has any information about the incident, is asked to contact DC Steve Nesbit at Spalding CID by calling 101 and quoting incident number 445 of February 21.

The best of Bourne music and culture gave the town a night to be proud of in honour of its first lady on Thursday.

Coun Judy Smith, who has served the people of Bourne for 17 years, was the host of a charity gala in her capacity as chairman of South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) at the town’s Corn Exchange.

Guests, including the Mayor of Bourne, Coun Wayne Pattison, and the chairman of South Holland District Council, Coun Michael Seymour, were entertained with music, dance and theatre.

The dancing came from Bourne-based Pharoah’s daughters who opened the gala with their interpretation of Middle Eastern Fusion Flamenco Dancing.

Actor Ian Gibbs, a member of Bourne Footlights amateur dramatics group, then gave a one-man virtuoso performance as the middle-aged man featured in Alan Bennett’s play ‘A Chip in the Sugar’.

The night ended with folk band Dean Hardy and Friends who performed traditional songs, including ‘I’ll Fly Away’.

But it was younger acts who shone most as pop duo Will Ward and Matt Olver, both 18, pianist Stanley Godfrey and alto-soprano Emily Key wowed their audience, with retired teacher and singer Jack Dawson completing the line-up.

Stanley, a Year 11 student at Bourne Grammar School, said: “It was a privilege to have been asked to perform in the Charity Gala because of the great causes it supported and I hope that everyone had a wonderful evening.”

Emily, also in Year 11 at Bourne Grammar School, said: “Attending the gala at the Corn Exchange was a wonderful opportunity to support three charities and enjoy an evening that had a lovely atmosphere.

“It was even more exciting to be able to take part in it and I felt very lucky to have such a talented pianist as Stanley Godfrey supporting me, as well as performing another phenomenal piece himself.

“I am very grateful that Coun Judy Smith, and other ‘behind-the-scenes superstars’, gave me the chance to join in and supported me in doing so.”

The gala raised money for Coun Smith’s chosen charities, South Lincolnshire Blind Society, Parkinson’s UK and Scouts and Guides in South Kesteven.

After the event, Coun Smith said: “I thought it was a terrfic evening, there was a lovely atmosphere created by the audience and all the performers absolutely excelled themselves.

“To put on a show like this involved many people who generously gave of their time to support my charities of the year as SKDC chairman.

“The support everyone gave to a night where we profiled some of the many talented people in Bourne and the district was outstanding and in the way that true Bourne people support things like this.

Host Paul Fellows, also vice-chairman of Bourne Town Council, said: “Ian Gibbs gave us a phenomenal acting performance, but my own highlight was the quality of the young people who performed.

“Will and Matt were so talented, then we got Emily Key and Stanley Godfrey who, although they are both tutored, showed how phenomenal their musical skills were.

“Overall, the gala highlighted where Coun Judy Smith comes from and that even though she is Chairman of SKDC, Judy is Bourne through and through.”

The current road closure over the Gravel Causeway on the B1166 near Crowland should come to an end on Friday, but an additional closure will be required to complete the repairs to the 63 year old bridge.

Works on the southern side of the five span concrete bridge will be postponed until Anglian Water is able to temporarily divert the mains, some time within the next three to four months.

Andrew Antcliff, senior bridge engineer, said: “An issue with the type of water mains over the bridge means we can’t safely excavate this area without bursting these mains, so Anglian Water will need to come out and temporarily divert the pipes so we can carry out the remainder of the repairs. “Unfortunately, neither our own historical records or Anglian Water records showed the construction of these mains accurately.

“We intend to complete as much of our planned works during the current closure as possible. To mitigate any disruption due to this water mains issue, we will then reopen Fen Bridge with temporary footways until work to divert the pipes begins and we can complete the rest of the planned bridge repairs.

“When the bridge is temporarily reopened in March, the site may appear unfinished. We ask the public to bear in mind that this will not be the final state of the site and that once the mains are diverted and repairs are complete, Fen Bridge and the surrounding area will look much improved.”

Further detail on the expected dates of the further road closures will be published when available, however these dates are presently being finalised with all parties concerned.

During closures, a diversion route different to that provided previously will be signposted using the B1166, B1162/B1443/A16/B1040/B1166 and visa-versa. This route is due to other works on the local highway network. The closure will be required for working space due to the narrow width of the bridge, and all endeavours will be made to reopen the bridge to traffic when the closure is not required.

Pedestrians will be able to walk over the bridge during the works, along a safe defined route. Parking will be available on the east of the bridge during the road closure, so anyone wishing to park and walk across the bridge can easily do so.

Fleet Hargate Post Office is to move to nearby Gedney later this month.

The move to the Chestnuts Tea Rooms, Farm Shop and Garden Centre in Topsgate happens on Thursday, March 30 at 1pm.

It will be a modern, open-plan branch with Post Office services delivered from an open-plan till alongside the tea room’s counter.

Services will be provided throughout shop opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9am-4pm and Sunday 10am-4pm. The current branch at Old Main Road will close on Wednesday, March 29 at 5pm.

Post Office regional manager Suzanne Richardson said: “We are making it easier for customers to get their cash, send and collect their mail and do their banking.

“During public consultation the main feedback focused on the distance from the centre of the village. We acknowledge the new premises are 650 metres away from the current site and that this will inconvenience some people.

“For those unable to access the new location on foot or by car, there is a frequent bus service from the current branch with the bus stop within 130 metres of the new site. “

Holbeach library’s new home in Fleet Street has been a hit with locals.

During its first week the library had 388 visitors with 320 books issued and 26 new members.

It’s one of 51 libraries in Lincolnshire, 36 of which are community hubs led by volunteers with the support of GLL, the council’s library provider. There’s 818 volunteers signed up to work at the community hubs, 22 of which are at the new Holbeach facility.

Coun Nick Worth, executive councillor for libraries, attended the official opening celebrations on Wednesday.

He said: “This is a wonderful facility for local people in Holbeach. The joy of the hubs is that they’re all different and respond to the needs of their local community.

“Our library service is bigger than it was in 2012 and communities are enjoying the benefits.”

Ursula Lidbetter, chief executive of Lincolnshire Co-op, added: “We share our profits with our members and their communities. One of the ways we do this is through investing in our services and sustaining vital community facilities, such as post offices and libraries.

“Creating this convenient hub is a great way to serve our loyal customers and members in Holbeach.”

Diana Edmonds, head of libraries for GLL, said: “GLL is a successful social enterprise with a strong track record of investing in public facilities and services for the community. We are delighted to partner with Lincolnshire Co-op and Lincolnshire County Council in the development of this new library facility.”

• Do you like the new community hub? Email your letters to jeremy.ransome@iliffepublishing.co.uk