Children at Spalding’s St John the Baptist C of E Primary School have been busy learning about where their food comes from thanks to a visit from Billy Branston’s Amazing Potato Factory bus.

For the past 18 months the school has been working on extending its provision around helping children to understand about the food they eat. It began with getting their own school kitchen and the development of their school allotment. Everyone in the school is involved in some way in helping to grow vegetables and fruit.

Headteacher Paul Reid said: “The potato bus really helped children to understand about large scale potato production and the many different steps involved in getting potatoes from the field to the shop.

“In an age where many children think that the food we eat only comes in polystyrene trays and plastic packets our work on food is really important. The next stage of our project is the creation of a specialist kitchen which will be used by children to learn how to cook.”

• See Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press for more pictures.

TRISH TAKES FIVE: By Trish Burgess

That’s it. Another series of Call the Midwife is over. Having binge-watched the final three episodes in one evening, I was left utterly exhausted, sobbing and cheering in equal measure as my emotions were tugged mercilessly with every contraction. The final episode had birth, death, marriage and even a vintage carousel. What a triumph!

I’m a big fan of the series for so many reasons: Trixie’s clothes and her clipped pronunciation; large prams with chariot-like suspension; hand-knitted matinee jackets; sensible Phyllis saying “Eeh lass!” and so many beautiful babies. Add to this the beatific smiles of the nuns of Nonnatus House and you’re onto a ratings winner.

Every year, on my birthday, my mum loves to share with me the story of my birth. I now have a vivid picture of my own journey into the world: the ward sister running into the delivery room in her nightdress; my dad arriving later that day with a fresh bunch of pink carnations; my mum, still groggy from Pethidine, telling all the nurses how much she loved him, and their cheery, no-nonsense reply, “Oh Lord, she’ll be back in nine months’ time!”

I tend not to regale my son with stories of his own birth 21 years ago – “Too much information, Mother!” – but still remember the drive to Pilgrim Hospital, Boston and the delicious taste of hot buttered toast I was given after my gorgeous boy was born.

My husband Dougie, who had delivered dozens of babies in that same department when he was a junior doctor, had to take on the role of father-to-be that day. Just like good old Dr Turner, who was eventually allowed to support his wife Shelagh during the birth of their baby, Dougie had to try not to interfere in the proceedings and for once allowed himself to be chief hand-holder and back-rubber.

The delivery room was historically a female-only environment. This all changed in the 1960s with the realisation that dads could also be of great support to mums in labour. My own dad was one of the very first to be allowed to stay with my mum in the delivery suite of a Newcastle hospital when my brother was born in 1961. My mum recalls the midwives warning him that if he fainted he would just have to lie there.

Over the six series of Call the Midwife the writers have ensured that many topical 
issues of the time are covered. Recently they’ve tackled Thalidomide, Down’s Syndrome, mental health and the contraceptive pill. The programme has proved to be an accurate historical documentary as well as a hugely popular drama.

I was thrilled to read that the BBC have commissioned three more series plus annual Christmas specials. Hankies at the ready...

• You can read Trish’s blog at www.mumsgoneto.co.uk

A campaign to keep people safe while having a night out across Lincolnshire has won a national award.

The “Ask for Angela”, run by Lincolnshire County Council, was named Best Personal Safety Campaign at the National Personal Safety Award run by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

Hayley Child, sexual violence and abuse strategy co-ordinator for Lincolnshire, accepted the award as founder of the campagn which looks to prevent sexual violence with the help of bars, pubs and nightclubs.

Accepting the award, Hayley said: “It is fantastic to have been recognised in this way and just adds to the success of the campaign.

“Ultimately, we don’t want people to be or feel unsafe on a night out and by encouraging licensed premises to look out for people who could be vulnerable, making sure people know that bar staff are there to help, we are keeping Lincolnshire’s night-time economy safe and enjoyable.”

The award was presented to Hayley by former Metropolitan Police detective Jacqui Hames who co-presented BBC Crimewatch for 16 years.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that between March 2015 and 2016, 645,000 people had reported they were a victim of sexual assaults, with a 12 per cent inccrease in sexual offences recorded by the police between September 2015 and 2016.

Speaking at the launch of “Ask for Angela” last October, Hayley said: “It is part of our wider #NoMore campaign which aims to promote a culture change in relation to sexual violence and abuse.

“We want to promote services in Lincolnshire and empower victims to make a decision on whether to report incidents because sexual abuse and violence is a national issue and all councils have a responsibility to tackle it.”

WARD’S WORLD: By madcap inventor John Ward

I know it’s possibly me not getting out much these days and I blame the wind damage for that with Hurricane Elsie blowing in from wherever or anything else blameworthy that is all in the media recently plus the ‘furniture sale’ must end on Tuesday as the window signs have just arrived stating there is a sale starting on, well, Thursday.

Coming from an era or at least a time when you wanted something that there was a price stamped on an article you wanted, craved or felt would fill that hole up between the fireplace and that big window, then you saw an assistant and handed over the green folding stuff as in money and if possible you either took it away in the back of your vehicle or strapped to the roof but another option was ‘home delivery’.

It seems that most things, usually large inanimate objects, are constantly subject to ‘sale’ prices and it makes you wonder has anybody ever brought something at the supposed full retail price and if so, what possessed them to do so?

I remember the first bed I brought when getting married and the super duper salesman, as in that silver tongued devil, said that because there was an ‘R’ or whatever in that month, we also got a ‘free’ alarm clock but not just any old alarm clock but it was available in two exciting (?) colours, was planet-friendly as you wound it up with a little key arrangement on the back and therefore did not require any fossil fuel or like-wise non-sustainable forest being chopped down to do this act and so knowing this, we could sleep easy in our bed, until the alarm clock went off of course...

Delivery of said bed was an event as it did arrive on the day and time requested unlike today where you set your calendar and clutch a ‘lucky rabbit’s foot’ and hoped for the best but if you ring ‘customer services’ to find out where your delivery has got to nowadays, you then begin to wonder if this earth, planet thing we live on could be flat after all as it must be claiming assorted delivery drivers as they are driving off the edge of it, leaving no forwarding address.

Ah yes – the delivery of the above bed plus alarm clock ‘available in two colours’, not that it matters as it worked in the dark part of the day mostly when nobody’s about to scrutinise the colour scheme too much and before you wonder, I ‘selected’ one in colour cream and so I got a blue one sent – close, quite close but as I pointed out, we would only be using it during the dark bit of the night, so no real problem.

The multi-tasking deliverance executive-consultant or the van driver as he was then, rang the door bell and I answered it by opening the front door to him.

He was, shall we say ‘getting on a bit’, and looked as if he fought at the battle of Hasting in 1066 but only survived this long as he had been complaining about the potholes in the roads and when would they be fixed sort of thing.

He stood there clutching a sheet of paper and he asked “Was I number 20?” and I said no, Ward and spelt the traditional way as in a W at the front end and a D on the other end.

Once this minor intellectual hurdle was passed, he than asked where did I want it?

I replied that in the house would be a delightful idea as opposed to it going ‘al fresco’ and he then asked my name again and then looked at the name on his paperwork and he said it was to be delivered to a Mr Ward and no mention of a Mr Al Fresco.

Apart from being a tax payer, I asked him if he had ever worked for the government at anytime, possibly in administration, and his reply was a classic as he replied: “Nar – I only do 40 hours for this firm, mate – no overtime you know, and so I don’t really have the time to do ‘anything on the side’ for anybody else and to be honest I am fair ‘cream-crackered’ after moving all this furniture abart all day.”

Well, that told me then.

He then asked ‘If it would have to come through the door?’ and I said I preferred it through the door frame, based on other furniture deliveries we had already received.

He sighed, folded the delivery paperwork and put it in his overall pocket then walked back to the van, banged the side and a bedraggled youth strode round, whom I assume was in the front of the van during this recent cultural interchange, and asked: “Is this it den?”.

I replied if he meant was this the place to deliver the bed, with non-matching alarm clock in a close shade of cream called blue. “Yes”.

I asked Den if they would like a cup of tea and he said his name was Stan not Den and the bedraggled one was Del as in Derek, so quite close.

He said they wouldn’t at this time and Stan then undid the roller shutter and it rattled all the way up and there was our bed, but not just any bed but one with special offer 
de-luxe alarm clock slung in.

Together then, Stan and Del, the saviours of the furniture removal business, manoeuvred the bed from the back of the van, and into the front hallway from through the door frame as was my request. Del the ‘assistant’ said it was easy-peasy although Stan said: “It has nearly done my back in, mate.”

He then went to Stage Two.

He explained that they were only allowed to deliver items into the address and not a part of it as in, say perhaps, as I cut in and said “upstairs maybe?” and he said yes, with Del breaking into a smile and then explained that at ‘some addresses’ it had been known for ‘well meaning customers’ to offer a five pound note as a form of possible inducement to move heavy, awkward items of furniture up the stairs of said homes and I replied that he need not worry on that score as we were out of fresh five pound notes anyway until the next delivery.

Faced with this response, there was a bit of synchronised jaw dropping in the Freestyle Deflated Doubles section (as yet not an Olympic recognized sport) and followed by:

“Ha well! – we have got this far, we might as well take it upstairs for yer, mate”.

They did their ‘shift n squeeze’ routine up the stairs and I put the kettle on and made a pot of tea. Once back down, they drunk it down with barely a splash heard and as they were going, I asked if they wanted anything signing and was this everything?

Stan then disappeared and came back with a small cardboard box –my free alarm clock, in blue.

The light nights are coming - and hopefully they’ll bring some warmer weather with them.

The clocks go forward on the last Sunday in March, which this year is the 26th, which is also Mother’s Day this weekend.

The UK will switch to British Summer Time (BST) at 1am on the Sunday morning, meaning people will effectively lose an hour’s sleep.

The change (also known as daylight saving time) will mean there is more daylight in the evenings but less in the mornings.

British Summer Time was first enforced in 1916 during the First World War in a bid to save money during wartime.

The current system has been in place since 1972. If you struggle to remember which way the clocks change, you can use the saying: “Spring forward, fall back”.

Facts about British Summer Time

British-born New Zealander George Vernon Hudson first proposed the modern idea of a two-hour daylight saving in 1895.

British Summer Time was suggested in 1907 by William Willett, a keen horse rider and frustrated by the ‘waste’ of daylight in the early mornings during the summer. Willett’s pamphlet ‘The Waste of Daylight’ campaigned for the clocks to be changed, but he died in 1915 before he could see it come into being as the idea was opposed by many, especially farmers.

Austria and Germany were the first countries to enact ‘Daylight Savings Time’ in 1916, quickly followed the same year by the UK and much of Europe. It was enforced during the First World War, in a bid to save money during wartime. The current system has been in place since 1972, proposals to keep the clocks at least one hour ahead of GMT all-year round have been debated frequently in parliament but never implemented.

The lighter evenings are also said to reduce road traffic accidents and crime.

Andrew Livesy (Free Press, February 28) supports John Hayes’ earlier criticism (Free Press, January 31) of the successful legal case brought by Gina Miller and others, including me (as I helped crowdfund the ‘People’s Challenge’, heard concurrently in the High Court).

The fact is that, under our system of representative parliamentary democracy, the ‘royal prerogative’ has never been used to overturn an earlier Act of Parliament since September 20, 1610 – that’s over 406 years ago.

When voters put a cross against Leave last June, they were voting for the UK to leave the EU, not to change our long-established, democratic system of government.

Before the Referendum, Leave campaigners were constantly urging voters to “take back our country”, “take back control” and “#TakeControl”, suggesting parliamentary sovereignty had somehow been fatally compromised by UK membership of the EU and hence needed to be restored.

So, it’s deeply ironic that Brexiteers, like John Hayes and Andrew Livesy, should argue that Parliamentary 
sovereignty should have been overruled by royal prerogative for the first time in over 406 years.

Moreover, Andrew Livesy insults me by lumping me in his category of “rich, well-connected people . . . who think their view matters more than ordinary people”, when, in reality, I’m the true democrat on this issue.

In contrast, he’s so obsessed with ensuring the UK leaves the EU that he’s willing to sacrifice representative parliamentary democracy on the altar of Brexit.

Yet again, die-hard Brexiteers continue to ignore the facts and reality, instead pushing their passionate belief that Brexit will benefit the UK overall and our constituency in particular.

Unfortunately, it won’t – and the sooner we engage in an informed debate on Brexit, the better.

Having seen that plans are afoot to expand Springfields Outlet Centre because of the lack of retail space in the town, I wonder which town our councillors actually live in. It can’t be Spalding.

There is ample space in Spalding for expansion. Look at the empty Johnson Hospital; that could be developed into a small mall full of quirky shops which could become a real attraction. It just needs a bit of imagination to restore Spalding to the thriving market town that it was a few years ago – imagination that our councillors lack, which makes me wonder what their real agenda is.

Spalding is dying and our councillors don’t care. Springfields does nothing to help the footfall in the town centre. Visitors just do not make the trip into the town centre which is why our local traders are in danger. And who can blame them when, apart from a handful of independent retailers like Hills, Flowers N Things and Bookmark, all they have to entice them are eastern European supermarkets with their plastic covered windows, estate agents and charity shops. Our councillors should be doing all they can to preserve our town instead of putting all their energies into destroying it.

It’s about time we stood up to our councillors and told them that they are not fit for purpose. This town needs people with vision and drive, people who are passionate in their desire to restore Spalding to its former glory, people who are prepared to work for the good of the town and not just for self glorification.

Our councillors are not delivering – they need to be replaced.

South Holland District Council has launched a two-week consultation on whether to look at setting up a town council for Spalding.

The consultation is not asking whether we want to have a town council in Spalding but whether we would like the district council to put the necessary time and money into working out how a town council will work and what extra cost, if any, there might be for council tax payers in Spalding.

I have met many people over the seven years I have lived and worked in Spalding who have expressed their frustration with the lack of a town council.

These have mostly been members of organisations who want to do things for the town but feel limited by the lack of a local council with whom they can talk to 
co-ordinate initiatives.

I appreciate that some will be doubtful about this prospect and will want to argue against having, as they would see it, an extra layer of bureaucracy.

I am happy to declare my view, which is that Spalding needs a town council made up of active people who want the town to prosper and have the vision to plan for that.

It is important if we are going to have a full discussion about the pros and cons of a town council that enough people respond positively to the consultation, whether we do that online or by returning the paper sent out with our council tax bills.

If we do nothing then the chance to decide whether a town council would be good for Spalding will be lost again.

Whether you do or don’t want a town council, and especially if you are not sure about it, please say ‘yes’ to the consultation, so that we can have an informed public debate.

HAYES IN THE HOUSE: By MP John Hayes

Recently the Scotland rugby team, buoyed by rare but deserved success against other British sides, travelled south to Twickenham, confident they could foil the ‘auld enemy’. Instead of besting England on home soil for the first time in 34 years, their pre-match swagger was made to look daft as Eddie Jones’ team won by a huge margin, so also winning the Six Nations trophy.

There may be lessons from this Scottish hubris beyond the rugby field. Last week, when Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon 
announced her intention to hold another referendum on independence, many people were puzzled. After all, it’s just two and a half years since the electorate north of the border overwhelmingly rejected a split – in a poll then described as a ‘once in a generation’ event. The assumption that, because many Scots voted to remain in the EU, they are bound to change their mind on independence, is highly questionable.

Because I grasped that it would lead to the constitutional complications we’re seeing today, I opposed devolution in the late 1990s. Though Westminster was right to respect the democratic mandate of the Scottish Parliament to hold a referendum in 2014, re-running elections until you get the result you want is not democracy. The SNP’s request for another plebiscite should be roundly rejected.

The case for independence was always flimsy and now confused. Originally, Scottish nationalists based their plans on a high oil price which has since collapsed and shows little sign of recovery. Even the SNP’s own economic advisor warned that the country’s economy would be set back by 10 years by separation. Now the separatists claim that Scotland could stay in the EU – yet the idea that their application would be fast-tracked is fanciful.

Nationalists wanted to go it alone, but also to retain the pound, the BBC and the Queen as Head of State – rather like a teenager desperate to move out of home, whilst insistent they keep their weekly pocket money and don’t have to pay any bills.

The SNP want to have their haggis and eat it. Opinion polls suggest Scots don’t want a second referendum, and, still more strikingly, a recent Social Attitudes survey revealed that a majority of the Scottish electorate have strongly Eurosceptic views. I suspect that some in Holyrood are suffering from the same over-confidence as their rugby team.

Patriots love all parts our UK and don’t want to end a glorious 300 year union which has helped to shape the modern world. As we prepare to embark upon our negotiations with the EU, we should focus on getting a deal that works for the whole UK. Though rivals in sport, over past years England and Scotland have worked together, prospered together, and fought for freedom together – our future lies together too.

The article printed on page 3 last week had several factual inaccuracies, particularly the bottom section, headed: ‘Council vote risks cash loss’.

Firstly, I am not on the planning committee and therefore was not eligible to vote. Eight other councillors voted for the refusal. I was only there as a ward member.

Secondly, all three ward members wrote in to object. I spoke against the application at the meeting and Coun Avery voted against the application. I can’t speak for the others, but I am strongly in favour of local services such as doctor’s surgeries; my objection was made on planning grounds.

Thirdly, I spoke very briefly on the matter at committee. I am glad that this short speech helped persuade the committee members to vote to refuse, but I doubt that it was as powerful a rhetoric as the doctor suggests.

I am sure that all the council members are able to read the application papers, debate the issue and make up their own minds.

I am satisfied that democratic process was followed, and that the applicant therefore cannot blame one person for the committee’s decision to refuse his application. I would hope that, in future, those reporting on planning meetings make sure that they carefully observe who is actually on the committee and voting, as opposed to who is there as a ward member.

EDITOR: In our report, we inadvertently referred to “Coun Slade and other planning committee members”. We admit this does suggest Coun Slade is on the committee and we apologise for the error. We do not believe there are any other inaccuracies in the report.

A qualified nurse specialising in ear care has started her new one day a week clinic in Spalding.

Jane Russell runs a Tuesday 9.30am-5pm clinic at Tonic Health, in Broadgate House, Westlode Street, and private patients can also see her at The Wellhead Practice, in Abbey Road, Bourne, between 9am-5pm on Thursdays.

Jane’s Bourne clinic opened in January and now she has added a day in Spalding to cater for more patients who may not be able to access services like ear syringing from GPs or face a wait of eight-ten weeks for micro-suctioning.

She also offers ear syringing and wax removal using specialist probes where syringing is not appropriate.

Jane said: “I am a registered general nurse (RGN) and I qualified in 1992 in Wales.”

Her work has included district nursing, theatre nursing, and, since her move to Dyke ten years ago, Jane has been an NHS community matron as well as a senior nurse.

Jane has a degree in respiratory medicine, is a nurse prescriber and first passed her advanced diploma in ear care 17 years ago.

She says the diploma is a qualification that must be updated every two years.

Jane does home visits for the housebound in Bourne and hopes to add that to her Spalding service.

For appointments call 01775 725059 or 01778 392832.

A mum is calling for action now to make a stretch of road in her village safe before it’s too late.

Dawn Adams has long been campaigning for a footpath to be built in Moulton Seas End on a busy stretch of road between the Seas End Road and The Golden Lion pub which has to be used by children to get to the school bus stop.

But Lincolnshire County Council says that with budget cuts and not enough land available, building a footpath is unlikely to happen.

Dawn’s 13-year-old daughter Keira was forced off the verge into the mud to avoid a car on her way to the school bus last week.

She said: “She had to come back home to get changed and then walk back to the bus stop. She was worried about being late for school. I do not consider this acceptable, that just because (Lincolnshire County Council’s) highways have not purchased the small amount of land needed to put in a footpath, children are forced off the road into puddles and mud on the small verge to avoid being hit.”

Both Keira who goes to Spalding High School, and her sister Jessica (14) who goes to University Academy Holbeach, have to walk on the grass verge from their home to catch their school buses and in the dark after 4pm in winter when their buses get back.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire County Council’s Highways Department said: “Keeping people safe is one of our top priorities. We do appreciate the concerns of local residents, and understand their desire for a footpath. We have explored whether this is possible, but the reality is that there is simply not enough highways land for one to be created.

“That means adjacent land would need to be acquired. However, not all the landowners are willing to sell, meaning this could only be done through a compulsory purchase order.

“This is likely to cost more than the footpath itself, and is a lengthy process in which there is no guarantee we would be successful; and with the county council’s budget being greatly reduced over the last few years, this is not something we would be able to fund.”

A new home is being sought for a small herd of alpacas.

Headteacher Karen Hepworth-Lavery and her journalist husband John Lavery have six alpacas, with two new arrivals expected in late spring, but their search to find a suitable area of land near their home in Maxey, near Market Deeping, has so far proved unsuccessful.

The alpacas are currently on a farm in Essex, but the couple want to bring them much nearer home, ideally within a 10-mile radius of Maxey.

Karen said: “We had hoped to have them up here last summer but, unfortunately, our negotiations for a field near the village fell through at the eleventh hour, so now we are back to square one and looking for suitable land to rent, or even buy.

“The alpacas are primarily going to be pets, but we are hoping to be able to offer some opportunities for people to come along and meet them, and even walk with them.

“We are particularly 
interested in working with local schools and especially children with special needs for whom the opportunity to meet with alpacas can be a very rewarding and uplifting experience.

“We are ideally looking for around two to three acres of fenced land, with an available supply of water.”

• If you have an area of land that may be suitable, you can contact Karen on 07909 388505 or by email at k.hepworthlavery@
btinternet.com

CABINET CALL: By Coun Gary Taylor of South Holland Dsitrict Council

This is the time of year when governments and councils set their budgets and just like your household budget, priorities are set and we look at ways of getting best value for money, shopping around and doing things differently.   

We are also proud to continue to fund several services which have been removed at many other councils.  

Our successful and popular weekly waste collection service will continue and we continue to support non-mandatory services such as arts and leisure. 

Locally we have just seen the conclusion of our 17th Open Arts competition, where I was a judge for the first time and asked to announce the winners of the Best Newcomer and Best Photography categories.

Being part of the judging panel was a very enjoyable experience. I was very impressed with the quality of the work, there was such a breadth of vision and talent.  

It was also so very enjoyable to see so many younger people taking part, which demonstrates that art is a truly inter-generational activity.  

Art allows people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures to express their feelings, emotions and experiences.  

I would like to thank all the organisers for their work, the artists who entered and the many residents who visited the exhibition. If you did not attend, it’s worth making that effort next year.  

People power is so important and politicians and those in charge of large organisations should never forget this. So often people are not aware of their power.  

It often takes a very long time but by persistently pressing on, desired outcomes are achieved.   

In Long Sutton the first South Holland Men’s shed project is now being established, which was started in Australia and aims to improve the overall health of males, where men get together to share and learn new skills.

In Spalding people power has been very successful in convincing Anglian Water to finally paint Chatterton water tower.  

This landmark had become an eyesore and people spoke out by signing the petitions which I organised along with former Spalding resident Sandra White.  

Thousands of people signed this petition and preparations for the work got under way this week. Thank you for all your support regarding this.    

Yet again MP John Hayes attempts to influence us all with his own subjective interpretation of fact.

He mentions “Political affairs in Westminster are conducted very differently – for the most part through careful Parliamentary consideration and compromise between people of differing views, typically respecting their adversaries.”

“Typically respecting their adversaries”.

Has he ever watched the schoolyard behaviour of MPs on the floor of the House of Commons, witnessed whip activity that bludgeons MPs into towing the party line and penalises those that don’t or listened to the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg who believes it’s perfectly acceptable to block private member bills by filibustering?

“People increasingly seek out news online that merely reinforces their prejudices.”

Can he please name just one major newspaper that doesn’t pander to the preconceived prejudices of its readers?

As to fake news.

Almost all politicians who entered the Britexit fray corrupted the truth. Isn’t that also fake news?

Such a pity Mr Hayes continues to spout inaccurate history, generalised platitudes and biased interpretation of fact rather than answer specific comments made by his constituents.

Mr Hayes, if you wish to apportion blame, don’t look to the web, just take a look at traditional media and your own place of work.

Our existing political system is riddled with systemic childish behaviour, activities that corrupt democratic process and those that pervert fact.

I read your report in the Lincs Free Press of March 7 (‘Speaking English will help migrant settlers’) with great interest.

I have lived next door to several Polish people and at the moment the avenue I live in has a wide mixture of Europeans, some will speak, some will not – mainly because they cannot.

I have a Polish friend who told me that although both her and her husband could speak English when they came here she found that the English they learned in Poland was American English and Lincolnshire English was different.

She also made the point that she would not leave her two small children with some of her relatives when they were visiting as they could not speak English and they would not be able to contact emergency services should the need arise.

I was disappointed when Spalding held a food festival that the Europeans did not have any food stalls – what a missed opportunity for the two communities to come together.

I try to speak to people in a shopping queue – the Europeans very rarely respond. When they do it is a great experience in culture, chit chat and often humour.

Most of us (English) do try to communicate but it has to be a two-way effort.

I would like to give some of my time to try to help to shorten the gap between the cultures.

I read with interest Lord Gary Porter’s piece on the forthcoming consultation as to whether to investigate establishing a town council for Spalding. I very much welcome this.

The last time a similar question was posed, in my naivety I did not then support the idea. Spalding was a lot smaller then, and I assumed that those elected to serve Spalding residents would actually get things done that would benefit Spalding specifically.

Comparing Spalding with Stamford, Sleaford, Bourne, Holbeach and even The Deepings that all have town councils, I now think it is to our disadvantage that we do not have one.

What town councils seem to be able to do is to offer a sense of community to the towns they serve. Our town does not even have a town noticeboard.

A town council consisting of the right people would provide a voice for Spalding that is sorely lacking. There are numerous issues that have been allowed to fester with nothing actually seemingly being done.

Take the examples of the increasingly derelict sites of the Bull & Monkie public house, the site of the old Royal Mail sorting office and the site of the old Johnson Hospital. Regardless of any political persuasion, no one could reasonably defend the fact that these buildings have been empty for so long.

A town council could surely provide a unified voice that could shame the owners of these sites into doing something with them, and failing that would be a powerful influence on the next level of local Government to take action.

As part of the Spotless Spalding campaign there are at last efforts under way to clean up the areas of railway land around the footbridges over the railway line off Park Road and St John’s Road. The state of these bridges is an embarrassment to the town.

A town council could have 
petitioned Network Rail publicly which would at least have sent a signal to the residents of the town that the elected representatives actually do see the same things that an ordinary person on the street does and are trying to address the issue.

I understand that it needs at least 3,471 people to support the proposed consultation and providing they are not outvoted the district council would then investigate the cost of running a town council and undertake a more in depth consultation on the issue.

I urge the townsfolk of Spalding to support this so we can all make an informed decision as to whether a town council is an effective solution.

The number 37 Spalding to Peterborough bus may have lost a few regular passengers from Crowland since the opening of a fundraising “boutique” in town.

Togs ‘n’ Cloggs, in South Street, has been described by one happy customer as “the best thing that’s ever happened to Crowland”, saving people a 22-mile round trip to Spalding or 19 miles to and from Peterborough.

What may have started out as “just another charity shop” has become a real trendsetter for Crowland, as well as a vital life support machine for the town’s Community Hub/library.

Julie Smith, a trustee for Crowland Community Hub, said: “We’re so grateful to people who come along and bring in beautiful clothes like prom and wedding dresses, outfits that have only been worn once and clothes that still have the labels on them.

“We get so much clothing that we can choose the best, including outfits worn for a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

“One lady who came in said to me ‘this is the best thing that has ever happened to Crowland’.

“When I asked her ‘why’s that then?’ she said ‘I don’t have to go into Peterborough every week any more – something I used to hate doing’.”

Togs ‘n’ Cloggs, which opened in October 2015, might never have happened without Lincolnshire County Council’s decision in 2013 to close 32 of the county’s 47 libraries in order to save up to £2 million.

Once the closure plan was announced, volunteers in Crowland mounted a bid to take over the library which took two years to prove successful.

At the official opening of Crowland Community Hub in October 2015, trustee Paul Bywater said: “We are very happy that after two years of concerted effort by a steering group, trustees and our tireless volunteers, we are at last able to secure the future of the Crowland Community Hub.

“Now we have a new facility, and a new charity shop, that will be the driving forces for building a new era of community-based services.”

Julie said: “We started looking for premises two years prior to the opening of Crowland Community Hub.

“It was quite obvious to us that if we were to take on the running of the library and keep it open, we needed to find a sustainable way of having some income.

“I was involved with the Crowland Cancer Fund shop when it opened in June 2000 and people were bringing in clothes when it was supposed to be just a bric-a-brac and bookshop.

“We also felt that if we were going to get an income stream in, without having to think of events at which to fundraise, we needed to register as a charity.

“Initially, we thought the premises in South Street were a bit small and a bit tucked out of the way.

“I wrote to Hills Department Store in Spalding and John Lewis, Peterborough, when we were setting up the shop and they both came up trumps.

“Hills provided the service desk and till, while John Lewis allowed us to have some of their units that were surplus to requirements.

“Then a business owner and someone from Deeping St James gave us some fittings and we had our shop ready.”

“But it’s turned out to be an ideal spot for us and, so as not to compete with the Crowland Cancer Fund shop, we’d be able to sell anything that’s wearable.”

Togs ‘n’ Cloggs is a team effort, led by manager Heather Roberts alongside Julie and a band of 30 volunteers.

Heather said: “I do the volunteers’ rota every week and then once people bring their donations in, we sort out the best ones from those that aren’t suitable for the shop.

“We have really good stuff in here and everything that comes in is checked over to see that there are no stains, buttons missing, no tobacco smell and the zips are working properly.

“Every week, we have a cut-off point for clothes to be on display which means that we have a changeover every four to five weeks.”

Volunteers at Togs ‘n’ Cloggs have sailed through a wave of skepticism from some in Crowland who thought the concept of a new and nearly new clothing and accessory shop would fail.

Julie said: “Before we opened the shop, people said ‘I can’t see you getting enough donations in to keep the shop open’.

“But we have a tsunami (flood) of clothes every week and what’s in the shop is 20 per cent of what is donated to us.

“Last December, we had to post a message on Facebook saying that we were inundated with clothes and people should stop donating for a few weeks.

“Also, we’ve never had to close the shop through being short of staff in the 73 weeks we’ve been open and the good band of volunteers we have are all committed people who come in and do their shift.

“Togs ‘n’ Cloggs doesn’t feel like a charity shop and, with its ethos, I prefer to think of it as a small boutique.”

A pensioner who spent years serving his queen and country is angry after being told he can’t see an NHS dentist for emergency treatment – but could be seen in a few days if he paid for private treatment.

Pensioner Thomas ‘Taffy’ Edwards (79) who was a firefighter in the RAF, tried to see an NHS dentist at Spalding’s Johnson Hospital only to be told they were “overwhelmed” with NHS patients, but he could see the on-site private dentist if he was willing to pay the prices.

He said: “I can’t get to see an NHS dentist in Spalding, Holbeach or Long Sutton, yet if I want to go private I’ve been told I could be seen in a few days.

“I am just angry that as someone who has paid my taxes that I can’t be seen under the National Health Service.

“The pain is in the top of my mouth. I’ve been struggling to eat and have lost about half a stone. I had an issue with a tooth about five years ago which was filled in through the NHS at the Johnson, but now when I’ve been back they say they are full.”

He has since again contacted NHS emergency phoneline 111 and they have managed to find him an NHS dentist in Boston – a round trip of an hour from his home in Gedney Drove End.

Widower Mr Edwards added: “There just doesn’t seem to be enough dentists.

“There are more people coming into the area but not enough services. I was absolutely astounded that Johnson Hospital told me they are overwhelmed with NHS patients, yet they have a private dentist on-site who could see me in a few days.

“To be seen by a private dentist can be £80, £90. I’m on a £171 a week pension and I’ve got my car tax and insurance to pay.

“I don’t drink or smoke and I never used to have to see the doctor. But if you don’t go to see your dentist regularly you get taken off the register.

“It seems when you want to see an NHS dentist the attitude is that if you haven’t registered with us then it’s tough luck. To go to Boston is a long way for me.

“Things in our country seem to be getting worse, not better.

Play time will soon be better than ever at Spalding’s Garth School after they secured a National Lottery grant to upgrade their playground.

The Pinchbeck Road special school has been awarded a £9,438 grant from The National Lottery Awards for All Scheme.

The school already has a lovely playground, with a wheelchair-accessible roundabout and a trim trail for the children installed in 2013.

However, although these facilities have been an excellent addition to the playground, the ground surrounding the trim trail and roundabout becomes extremely boggy and muddy in bad weather, meaning pupils cannot always use them.

This new injection of funding will allow the school to install all-weather rubber mulch safety surfacing throughout that area, making the trim trail and wheelchair-friendly roundabout accessible all year round.

Also within the funding, the school is purchasing interactive play panels for the children to enjoy at break times.

Head of site Richard Gamman said: “Having the area around the trim trail surfaced will make a huge difference to the opportunities for our students.

“The roundabout is wheelchair accessible and a source of great fun for all of our children but not available currently for six months of the year because of all the mud that builds up around it. We are delighted the Big Lottery grant has opened this resource up for the whole year.”