Action, adventure and sci-fi fans went time travelling in Spalding where a cult TV and comic book fair landed on Sunday.

“GEEKS” South Lincs Comic-Con, at Springfields Events & Conference Centre, was the place for thousands of people to let their imaginations run wild by dressing up as their favourite fantasy and screen characters.

Visitors spent seven hours walking past amateur Doctor Whos, Grim Reaper, from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, Batman and his arch enemy The Joker, as well as spending time at a range of exhibition stands.

Star guests on the day were ex-Doctor Who Colin Baker, Chris Barrie and Hattie Heyridge from TV sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf, Virginia Hey from Mad Max 2 and Doctor Who villain Terry Molloy (Daleks’ creator Davros”

Organiser Mark Longman, said: “I was confident that it would be a busy show, but I didn’t think it would get the support it did because Spalding is a little bit rural.

“But it was very busy and even though we’d sold about 700 advanced tickets, we still had a substantial queue for on-the-door admissions.

“It exceeded my expectations and we’ve already booked the venue for next year.”

• For more photos from “GEEKS” South Lincs Comic-Con, but Thursday’s Spalding Guardian.

A Spalding mum who suffered the heartbreak of losing an unborn baby says her own life was saved by a pony called Lottie.

Adele Barker (34) had an ectopic pregnancy, which means the baby grows outside the mother’s womb.

The pregnancy ended inevitably and tragically in miscarriage.

Adele, who needed emergency surgery, suffered grief and something far more extreme – post traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) – although she didn’t recognise the illness until she heard about it months later on Radio 1.

Buying Lottie was the major turning point because the “scruffbag” pony helped Adele recover from PTSD.

Now Adele is forging links with Riding for the Disabled and Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, in the hope that more women in Lincolnshire can win back their lives from miscarriage and PTSD by riding horses.

Adele said: “Lottie is incredible. She hadn’t been ridden when I bought her. She’s just my saviour. I adore her, although she’s a scruffbag.”

Adele believes she’s been luckier than some women because she already had three children, Maria (13), Jorja (11) and Layla (3).

But she and partner Nathan Read had tried for more than a year to have a baby and their growing joy after Adele became pregnant was shattered in June 2015.

“It’s a big adjustment for everybody to come to terms with it,” said Adele.

Gradually Adele realised she was feeling something more than grief but didn’t know what it was.

“I felt really detached from my family,” said Adele. “At one point I did want to drive off on my own and never come back – and this wasn’t normal for me. A few people I knew were pregnant and I just couldn’t be around them.”

Adele has always loved horses and felt getting back into horses would help.

She bought Lottie in October 2015 and has since bought a couple more.

“Getting back into horses literally saved my life,” said Adele. “Because of the horses I have been able to recover without any prescription drugs. When you ride, the stress just drains out of you. You just feel relaxed and really calm and happy.”

She says four in ten women who suffer an ectopic miscarriage have PTSD symptoms.

Adele has teamed up with the Louth-based Lincolnshire Wolds branch of Riding for the Disabled and a Boston-based bereavement team to get a riding scheme off the ground.

She aims to hold a public meeting in May and hopes to put information leaflets in hospitals and doctors’ surgeries.

• Women interested in getting involved can email infohorsesforhealth@gmail.com

Few people pass a driving test when they’re aged six years and ten months.

Alfie Elvin has done just that so he can race on the Micro F2
BriSCA stock car circuit.

Alfie is counting down the days to his seventh birthday on April 12, which means he can drive in his first official race at Skegness Stadium at the end of the month.

His family have had a £2,500 car specially made for Alfie, who will race on dad Jason’s old number, 525. Jason (43) started racing at 16, winning heats and finals until retiring from the circuit in 2006.

Micro F2s have a top speed of around 40mph but Alfie has proven his expertise in driving and mastery of essential safety skills by passing his Junior Driver Competence Course.

Alfie’s great aunt, Jane Truepenny, is also a former racing driver and, together with husband Ian, has nurtured Alfie’s love of the sport by taking him to stock car meetings all over the country.

Jane said: “He was probably about six to nine-months-old when we first took him to a race – he was still in his buggy.”

Alfie goes to Gosberton Clough and Risegate Primary School and his teachers will watch Alfie’s debut.

Mum Karen, who manages estate agent Morriss and Mennie in Spalding, said: “He lives for racing and when the season is on he goes all over the country.”

• Email your news to lynne.harrison@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Harry Potter star Warwick Davis has praised a Donington family for the part they are playing in raising awareness of the charity Little People UK.

Warwick and his wife, Sammy, chatted to Jessica Ward (11) at Little People’s get together a few days ago – and posed for a picture in front of a lorry that takes Jessica’s and Little People’s names across the country.

The special livery was created by Pinchbeck firm CPT Distribution for a lorry driven by Jessica’s dad, Carl (42), and the eight-tonne vehicle will star in a “truck pull” when Little People UK hold a big get together in the autumn.

When the truck was first painted in November, Carl drove his special cab to surprise Jessica at Thomas Cowley High School and said then: “I am amazed that the business would do this.”

The family are thrilled with everything the firm has done for them and they are today asking our readers to donate to Little People UK so families across the country affected by dwarfism can benefit from a charity they consider to be their lifeline.

Jessica’s mum, Laura (32), said families like hers would feel totally isolated if they had no one to turn to and Little People UK provides a ready made community where they can share problems or simply chat with people who understand.

She said: “Little People is a charity very close to our hearts and it has a mega impact on Jessica and our family life.

“The charity helps with advice and there’s a Facebook page where people can chat away.”

It also provides opportunities for families to meet and have fun, and Laura feels it is every bit as important for sons Nathan (13) and Ashley (8) as it is for Jessica.

Jessica has come close to losing her life several times due to medical complications arising from hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain) and has had blue light, emergency ambulance rides to hospital.

Jessica battles other health problems, including arthritis, and has had to cope with a prolonged spell of having metal callipers on her legs.

She is a regular visitor to hospitals in Sheffield, Nottingham and London.

In spite of all of her health problems Jessica always finds a way to bounce back.

“She’s a little fighter,” said Laura. “She’s like my little person with a massive personality. She just amazes me for what she goes through and she still stands up smiling. She makes me so proud to be her mum.”

Jessica says her spirits sink at times but going to Little People UK weekends, like the recent one in Matlock, make her feel much better.

“When I feel down about myself, I have always got Little People UK,” said Jessica. “You get to meet new friends. I made two new friends at the last weekend – Jessica and Callie – and I chat to them on Snapchat.”

Jessica belongs to two drama groups and may one day make the stage her career, although she’s also tempted to go into hair and beauty, perhaps owning her own salon, or indulging another great passion, that of baking.

Warwick is president and patron of Little People UK and he and his wife Sammy, who chairs the charity, are thrilled Carl’s company has created the special livery for the truck and that Carl is promoting the charity as he drives thousands of miles around the country.

He said: “It helps us do the things we do for our members.”

The film star says Carl’s lorry may also get the message out to someone who would benefit from the charity’s help.

Little People UK is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with dwarfism, providing support and information, including information about medical and social issues.

The Lincs Free Press Children’s Fund is donating £400-plus so Jessica and her family can attend this coming autumn’s big convention from September 30 to October 2.

To donate to Little People UK, please visit littlepeopleuk.org and click on the ‘Ways you can donate’ tab – these include Paypal, text and JustGiving.

To donate to the Lincs Free Press Children’s Fund, please make out a cheque payable to our fund and send it to the Lincolnshire Free Press, Priory House, The Crescent, Spalding PE11 1AB.

Plans to replace Whaplode Cemetery Chapel with a memorial garden are to go ahead based on a lack of public opposition.

Whaplode Parish Council members are free to ask for quotes from landscapers to create the memorial garden as part of separate plans to extend the cemetery and improve its surroundings.

The project was first revealed by our sister newspaper, the Spalding Guardian, last August when Coun Paul Stafford said: “We have an idea to take down the old chapel and create a nice place where people can sit and reflect.”

But Spalding funeral directors Mark and Sue Forth, whose family members are buried at Whaplode Cemetery, said: “We would prefer the chapel to stay where it is because it’s the centre of the cemetery.

“The cemetery is in an atrocious state, the roads leading up to it are full of potholes and the upkeep of it is terrible.

“What’s the point of having a garden of remembrance when people who go to look for their loved ones while sit next to the graveside, not in a memorial garden?

“But Whaplode has changed over the years and a lot of people have come into the village who have no connection with the cemetery.”

Parish councillors discussed the way forward for the cemetery at a meeting on Wednesday when it was confirmed that the cost of repairing the chapel would have been at least £20,000

Coun Morris Stancer, Chairman of Whaplode Parish Council, said: “Anybody who realises what it would cost to get the chapel back in a reusable state would quickly realise where we’re coming from.

“I’m sure that when we get the cemetery tidy and when we’ve finished with the creation of the memorial garden, people will appreciate it and it will be a credit to us.”

Relief is in sight for Spalding drivers as ten weeks of roadworks on Winsover Road are due to end on Friday.

Today (Wednesday) a spokesman for Anglian Water said: “We’re on course to complete the works on Friday afternoon.

“Work to resurface the road will happen Thursday and Friday and the road will be reopened as soon as the tarmac has set.

“We’re extremely grateful to local residents who’ve been patient whilst these vital emergency works were completed.”

Anglian Water has been repairing a collapsed sewer.

Sarah Dobson, from Anglian Water, recently explained that closure of the busy junction of Winsover Road/Hawthorn Bank was better than having blocked drains and flooded homes.

And site manager Dave Holmes said: “This is one of the worst sewer collapses we’ve had and the more serious the collapse, the worse it is.

“We’ve had to dig down and find out where the pipe was broken as it’s caused the manhole to give way when all the earth around it washed away.”

Discovery of an underground structure reignited a debate about medieval underground tunnels linking Monks House and the Priors Oven but historian Michael Elsden said: “I don’t think it would have been possible to build them in this area.”

Fewer children will be going to their first choice secondary school this year, figures released today (Wednesday) by Lincolnshire County Council show.

Despite this, it’s good news for the vast majority, with 90 per cent of the 7,900 children wanting a secondary school place in September gaining their first preference school.

In 2013, 92.3 per cent gained their first choice school, followed by 93.6 per cent in 2014, 93 per cent in 2015 and 92 per cent last year.

Councillor Patricia Bradwell, executive councillor for children’s services, said: “Yet again, it’s good to see so many children getting their first school of preference. It is always our intention to support as many parents as possible with their choice of school.

“There are many stories about how stressful the admissions process can be, but every year the overwhelming majority of parents have no problems in gaining admission to the school of their choice.”

Parents who have applied online for their child to start at secondary school in September can collect their offer from today (Wednesday). The county council will also post offer letters to parents using a paper form.

The council advises parents to accept the place offered even if the school was not one of their preferences, as this makes sure that their child will have a school place for September. Once parents have accepted a school place they can apply for transport.

In some cases, parents may not have received an offer at one of their preferred schools and might want to appeal against this. Parents who have applied online and need to appeal to an independent school admission appeals panel can usually do this online.

Parents who have applied online can go to www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/schooladmissions to collect their offer, up until March 17.

Help is at hand for people living with dementia and their carers.

The ‘Keep Healthy, Keep Active’ sessions, offered by Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service (LCVS), may include activities such as quizzes, cooking, gardening, laughter yoga and seated exercise.

There will be opportunities to chat and socialise.

Sessions are due to take place from 1.30pm to 3.30pm on Fridays, up to and including March 31, at the community centre, 3-5 Broad Lane, Moulton PE12 6PN. The courses have been funded by Lincolnshire’s Dementia Support Fund. Places are limited and booking is essential.

• To find out more please call LCVS on 01205 510888, ext 3 for Spalding office, or email enquiry@lincolnshirecvs.org.uk

SportsDirect to move into a bigger store at Springfields Outlet Shopping, Spalding, from Wednesday, March 8.

SportsDirect is to move from its current premises at Springfields to a 5,250 sq ft space at the same complex.

The sportswear retailer is leaving its current base for a short move “across the aisle” to a premises formerly occupied by The Nike Store and, more recently, Avendita, where it will open to shoppers on Wednesday.

A SportsDirect spokesman said: “This store is part of our commitment to developing elevated sports and lifestyle retail space, catering for greater integration of key brands like Nike, Adidas, Puma and many more.”

Spalding is one of more than 400 stores SportsDirect nationwide and the spokesman said: “We offer something for everybody and we are very proud to open a great location like Spalding.”

A spokesman for Springfields Outlet Shopping said: “SportsDirect is going to move location to a bigger, better store and the shop fitting is going on now.

“It is quite exciting for us as the store will be doubling in size, with a new range of stock, and there will be some exciting offers.”

A South Holland artist will give new meaning to the phrase “hidden treasure” when his first masterpiece goes on display later today.

Edward Morris, who works under the name “Metal Detector Man”, has proudly entered a stool made out of nails in this year’s South Holland Open Arts Exhibition which runs until Thursday, March 9.

Nailed It, one of three pieces made by Edward within the past year, set the artist on a potentially more lucrative journey to find the treasure reputedly lost by King John in The Wash 800 years ago.

Edward said: “I’d been metal detecting around Lincolnshire for six years but all I found were nails, rather than treasure.

“But instead of getting down and feeling sorry for myself, I turned the nails and other things I found into my own treasure.

“Eventually, I found an object which inspired me to keep on following my dreams.

“It turned out to be a metallic object which I traced back to King Henry I and then to his great-grandson King John.”

Nailed It may have been the only piece by Edward to make it into the exhibition, but two other items made by “Metal Detector Man” celebrate his quest to find King John’s Lost Treasure, possibly in South Holland.

Edward said: “Horsesome was made out of wood given to me by developers who are renovating old pubs in South Holland.

“They were going to be thrown onto a bonfire but I’ve made something out of them.

“Horsesome is supposed to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the 2,000 lives lost when King John’s baggage train went down in the Wash.”

The other piece is The Wash Bowl, made out of an old tree log and with a medallion at the centre of it which Edward claimed to have traced back to King John’s great-grandfather, King Edward I.

“I was excited to get Nailed It into the exhibition, but also disappointed because I wanted The Wash Bowl in as well.”

Whaplode Parish Council wants the public’s help to find the owners of up to 12 unique sculptures in the village and Saracen’s Head.

The Whapplehog, a 700lb pot-bellied pig unveiled in 1997, and 11 other pieces of artwork made from steel, stone, wood, brick and cast iron, led to Whaplode being signposted as “A Village With Sculptures.”

But parish councillors are now trying to establish who is responsible for their upkeep, insurance and any repairs that are needed.

A parish council spokesman said: “The sculptures created an awful lot of interest when they were put in place originally.

“But there is an issue regarding current ownership, who is going to keep them in a good state and who is going to be responsible when they are damaged.

“There are also issues of whether they are to be insured, the cost of insuring them and who is going to pay for it.”

Some of the sculptures were originally the idea of retired pig farmer and ex-parish councillor Stan Hoyes (79) who saw them as a way of giving something back to the village where he has lived all his life.

Speaking to our sister newspaper, the Lincolnshire Free Press in 2002, Mr Hoyes said: “These sculptures were something I did for the community when I could have quite easily kept them in my own garden.

“Even though some were commissioned, they have still cost me thousands of pounds, both in money and time.

“Some of the sculptures took as long as five months to complete, but I was trying to do something for the area.”

Other sculptures apart from the Whapplehog include the steel How Does Your Garden Grow and Golden Harvest, both near St Mary’s Church, Whaplode, and Village and Visitors, outside Saracen’s Head Village Hall.

The spokesman said: “We never really clarified whether Mr Hoyes wanted the parish council to take the sculptures over or not.

“The council doesn’t have responsibility for all of them, by any means, and the problem will occur when one of them is damaged.

“Things usually come back to the parish council so we have decided to start clarifying who is responsible for them, who is going to arrange for any repairs to be carried out and who is going to pay.”

Drivers caught twice using handheld mobile phones risk automatic driving bans as a new law came into force yesterday (Wednesday).

Newly qualified drivers risk being taken off the road if caught making a single call.


Penalties doubled to £200 fines and six points but drivers can’t duck the points by taking a course.


Twelve points on a licence can trigger an automatic ban.

Since December 2003 it has been illegal to use a mobile phone while driving or while stopped with the engine on, but a growing number of drivers admit they are flouting the law.


Alice Husband, from Tydd St Mary, lost her son Seth Dixon (7) in a road tragedy in December 2014 when the driver was talking hands free on a mobile and wants like the law changed to ban all calls while driving.

The mum points to research that shows “talking is the distraction”.

• Motoring organisation The RAC surveyed 1,714 motorists and 31 per cent admitted using a handheld mobile behind the wheel compared to eight per cent in 2014. Police say drivers are not just making calls they are also texting and using the Internet.

Calling all tractor drivers ... organisers of Moulton Tractor Road Run are looking for participants in this year’s event to help raise money for Moulton Mill.

The event takes place on Sunday, April 23 and it costs £5 to enter. More details are available on 07825 609575.

The event is centred on a field in Broad Lane.

Lincolnshire Police has received an overall ‘Good’ rating for its effectiveness from the Government’s police inspectorate in a report published today.

This latest assessment means the force has now received an overall ‘Good’ grading for three of the four pillars of PEEL – efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy.

It still needs improvement in protecting vulnerable people and supporting victims.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul Gibson said the report is good news for the people of Lincolnshire and the force and a testament to the continuing dedication and application to task of every member of the organisation.

“As a force we are proud to deliver services that have been independently assessed by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies (HMIC)as ‘Good’ across the board,” he said.

“This report follows the good news in November which again graded Lincolnshire as ‘Good’ in the areas of efficiency and legitimacy. We now have an overall ‘Good’ grading for HMIC’s three pillars of inspection.”

The HMIC report is an improvement on the 2015 report which said the force ‘required improvement’.

“It is very satisfying to see our long-standing plans coming to fruition to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our services for the benefit of Lincolnshire,” added Asst Ch Con Gibson.

The report says: “Lincolnshire is good at keeping people safe and reducing crime.”

It says in the five years from June 2011 crime reduced by 19.7 per cent in the county compared with 0.5 per cent nationally. In the last year there was an increase of 1.3 per centcompared with a national increase of 7.8 per cent.

“In this latest report, four out of five areas of inspection are graded as Good,” added Asst Ch Con Gibson.

“It says we are ‘Good’ at preventing crime, tackling anti-social behaviour and keeping people safe; we are ‘Good’ at investigating crime and managing offenders and we are ‘Good’ at tackling serious and organised crime and there are good leadership arrangements to oversee the force’s preparedness to respond to all the threats identified in the strategic policing requirement.”

The area which HMIC found that Lincolnshire Police still needed improvement was in protecting vulnerable people and supporting victims.

Asst Ch Con Gibson added: “I am confident of improvement in this area since the inspection.

“The well publicised work we carried out last year to adjust our resources and divert more to emerging issues such as cybercrime and on-line grooming and boost our investigative capabilities in the areas of child sexual exploitation, missing persons and domestic abuse are already addressing the areas mentioned.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones also welcomed the HMIC report, saying it demonstrated a significant step forward for the force and showed the great strides being made to provide the best service for the people of Lincolnshire.

Mr Jones said he had already identified the support of victims and protecting the vulnerable as key priorities for the coming year and both were identified in his recently released Community Safety, Policing and Criminal Justice plan.

“I am delighted the inspectors have recognized the fantastic strides forward the force has made in the past year and all the staff at Lincolnshire Police deserve great credit for the improvements,” said Mr Jones.

“There is still work to do but I am confident that work already started by my office, alongside the force, will provide even better services for victims and to help protect the vulnerable.

“I am certain that working in partnership with the force and other agencies in the county we can make our communities even safer and deliver services our residents can be proud of.”

Police appealed last week on our website for public assistance after a number of thefts in February at supermarkets in Bourne, Market Deeping and Stamford.

After releasing images of a number of men, officers believe that one man has been identified. The images have therefore been edited to remove this man.

There are still a number of men that officers would like to speak to in relation to the offences which are being treated as a series.

Large amounts of meat and alcohol have been stolen with the total value amounting to over £2000.

If you have any information that could assist with this enquiry, please call 101.

LOOKING BACK: By Long Sutton Civic Society

None of us are getting any younger and what is true for people is also true for our properties. Buildings, like us , go through life stages with eventual decrepitude, and demise. This is not so much to do with the condition of the bricks and mortar, but usually because they become obsolete because of changing public tastes, costs of running them, or their inability to accommodate change.

A relatively young building can become obsolete quite quickly. Just think of all those concrete monstrosities put up in the 1960s and 70s that were intended to last for a century or more but saw an early demise thanks to changing public tastes, technological change or dodgy construction techniques leaving them too expensive to maintain.

Some buildings, though, last for centuries. Their design lends itself to regular refurbishment to keep up with changing tastes and uses and their appearance remains relevant to the ever-changing streetscene. They become points of reference for communities, A constant in an ever-changing world, repositories of memories for generations of townsfolk.

Eventually though even these icons run out of time. Hundreds of churches across the UK, for example, have become redundant in the last half century in the move away from Christianity and either found other uses or fallen into decay.Historic coaching inns, such as the Bridge Hotel in Sutton Bridge and the Bull Hotel in Long Sutton, cornerstone buildings in these towns, have been long empty and awaiting redevelopment, victims of changed public tastes and the transport revolution.

There has been a lot of discussion and anguish amongst local people about the decay of these two buildings. Both are now derelict, have suffered recent fires and are in urgent need of attention. Both blots on the landscape.

A new design for the replacement of the Bridge Hotel proposes new apartments. The rebuilt elevations will have a superficial resemblance to the old place but the memories of the building in its heyday, with receptions, parties and events, at the heart of the community, will be lost forever, with only a few old photographs to remind us how it used to be. What will become of the Bull remains to be seen.

Should we be maudlin about this? Places change constantly to keep up with population, work, transport and shopping requirements. What we need to make sure is that whatever replaces our High Street icons are buildings of the highest possible quality and appearance. Buildings our successors will cherish as much as we have cherished those that were built by our forefathers.

• What are your memories of the two hotels? Email your thought and/or pictures to jeremy.ransome@iliffepublishing.co.uk

A new branch of the European Movement has been formed in Lincolnshire.

The European Movement is a grassroots, independent pro-European organisation that works to give a voice to those who believe Britain’s future lies side by side with its European partners.

The Movement has been in existence since 1947 and counts Winston Churchill among its founding members. Active in more than 40 countries, it has led the campaign for a dynamic, popular, integrated and efficient Europe that has delivered jobs, security, prosperity and justice for nearly 70 years.

The Lincolnshire branch was inaugurated in Spalding earlier this month when members met for the first time and set about the formalities of electing a chair and other constitutional matters.

The objectives are to promote the EU, disseminate a positive image of the EU and Britain’s role in Europe, campaign for the UK to remain a member of the EU and undertake other activities to further the aims and objectives of the European Movement.

Since the referendum in June 2016, the European Movement has continued to campaign to ensure Britain’s role in Europe is beneficial to the country.

• For information on how to join the Lincolnshire branch of the European Movement email Lincolnshire@
euromove.org.uk

People in the Deepings and Bourne have until next Friday to sign up for South Kesteven District Council’s garden waste collection service.

Existing customers should have already received an email or letter inviting them to rejoin the service and ensure that it continues in line with their current direct debit arrangements.

After Friday, March 10, any existing customers who have been contacted to confirm or update their direct debit arrangements but not done so will need to register their details again online.

Meanwhile, new customers can buy bins and stickers for the service, starting on April 1, by clicking on the button by visiting www.southkesteven.gov.uk

Voters in Bourne and the Deepings are being encouraged to register in time for the county elections on May 4.

South Kesteven Distric Council is encouraging anyone not yet registered to vote to go online and do so if they want to have their say in the elections for Lincolnshire County Council.

You have until Thursday, April 13, to register and Beverly Agass, electoral registration officer for South Kesteven District Council, said: “If you have not yet registered or you have moved house and not given us the new information, you should register as soon as possible to be able to vote in the May election.”

To register, visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

South Holland District Council is expected to join thousands of people across the globe in raising the flag for Commonwealth Day 2017.

Flags will be raised throughout the United Kingdom at 10am on Monday after a personal message from the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and a specially written Commonwealth Affirmation will be read out.

Bruno Peek, founder of “Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth”, said: “I am amazed how quickly this event has caught the public;s imagination in the UK and around the Commonwealth.

“It is a positive and uplifting way for people to link with, and assist, fellow citizens of the Commonwealth in a family that spans across oceans and continents.”

Already confirmed is South Kesteven District Council’s “Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth” event will be held outside the council’s offices in Grantham, led by council chairman, Coun Judy Smith.