The Wheatsheaf Hotel at Swineshead had a familiar face in the bar over Christmas – its former landlord John Hewitt.

John (73) and his late wife, Rita, ran the Market Place pub between 1981 and 1986 before leaving for a new life in Cyprus.

On the day they moved to the pub, their army son, Dave, was one of the people helping them – and now, 31 years later, Dave is the man pulling the pints.

The former lorry driver switched jobs because he didn’t want to be away from home so much and The Wheatsheaf was a natural choice because it’s been his local for 30 years.

John enjoyed a tour of the family accommodation at The Wheatsheaf during his latest trip home.

Dave said: “We went upstairs and went around the rooms. He said to me ‘can you feel your mum?’

“You can feel her presence. There’s just that feeling of her being around.”

Dave said the locals nicknamed his dad and mum “Den and Angie”, after the 1980s Eastenders publicans who didn’t always see eye to eye.

“She was a fiery woman, my mum,” said Dave. “She was the boss.”

John spent Christmas 2011 at Dave’s family home in Swineshead but there was no plan at that stage for Dave to take over The Wheatsheaf.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would do this,” he said.

Dave took over as landlord in May and has already won an award for his real ale as well as winning the trust of regulars who are enjoying seeing the pub in safe hands.

Helping Dave are his son Ross (22) and daughter Carlie (23).

Dave and his teacher wife, Tracey, also have a daughter, Kirsty (19).

Holbeach and Whaplode residents can air their views on crime, anti-social behaviour and speeding motorists at a community policing panel.

Members of the public are invited to Coubro Chambers in West End, Holbeach, on Wednesday to speak directly to police, police community support officers and Holbeach Town and Rural Community Policing Panel.

Panel chairman Mike Pullen said there is an open forum between 6.30pm-7pm so people can talk about the things that concern them.

The Whaplode parish councillor said speeding is always of concern in Whaplode, but many other issues come up.

The open forum will be extended if necessary to give everyone a chance to speak.

Commuters travelling by train from Spalding station have been hit by a national hike in rail fares this week.

Fares on East Midlands Trains rose an average of four per cent yesterday (Wednesday) - with the cost a single journey increasing by an average of 52p.

The cheapest standard single to Peterborough is now £7.60 - with the anytime day return at £8.40.

However, a spokesman for Stagecoach, which runs the service, said the increase was far less than in other parts of the country - with some rail providers putting up prices by 5.8 per cent.

She said: “Train operators have to take into account a number of factors when setting fares. However, all fares are determined largely by government policy, which states a bigger share of funding for the railway must come from people who use the train.”

The increase is also far less than that affecting motorists, who have faced a 14 per cent rise in costs over the past year. Travellers are being asked to take some compensation in the fact 97p out of every £1 received in fares goes back into running the railway and making improvements for passengers.

East Midlands Trains passengers are benefitting from a multi-million pound investment, including all of the trains through Spalding which have now been fully-refurbished.

In addition, there are plans to make some station improvements at Spalding over the coming year.

Network Rail is also carrying out a £280m programme of renewals on the line through Spalding. On completion next year it will deliver enhanced safety, improved performance and additional capacity for passengers and freight, taking about 60 lorry journeys off the roads.

The year is at an end and we look forward to 2013 with hope and optimism.

Hope, because we have just endured the wettest year since records began. We are fortunate in this part of the world to have escaped nature’s worst, thanks in no small part to our efficient drainage system and the fine work that all our local IDBs do.

It makes me wonder whether local authorities will ever learn that nature cannot be interfered with, and building works should never be allowed on natural flood plains.

Despite the woes many have experienced weather-wise during 2012, we must hope that 2013 cannot be as bad.

Optimism, because many growers managed to establish crops in good time last autumn and these crops now look pretty reasonable, albeit with a few puddles here and there. They are, however, surviving the conditions and look to be in generally decent order.

Plainly though there are growers still looking at waterlogged fields which need to be cultivated and drilled.

It’s worth reminding ourselves that 2012 has been a momentous year for the UK. We have had Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee, which has seen huge numbers of people turning out to wish her well. Additionally, the country has hosted the most successful Olympic and Paralympic Games ever, delivering a really amazing feelgood factor for the whole country to bask in.

Let’s try and carry some of this optimism into 2013.

Happy New Year.

A 19-year-old Spalding gay marriage campaigner stood out in the cold and rain on Boxing Day to collect signatures to support her cause.

Suzi Paddison said she was horrified to read in the Lincolnshire Free Press that local MP John Hayes intended to vote against the Government’s bid to legalise same-sex marriage.

In the two hours she spent conducting a survey in the town centre, she said she collected more than 100 signatures from people who live in Mr Hayes’ constituency but did not share his views.

She said: “Considering it was Boxing Day and town was very quiet I am very happy that so many people wanted to show their support.

“I think that if town had been busier I would have been able to get a lot more than I did.

“I wanted to show there are people living in this area who do support gay marriage and give them a chance to let MP John Hayes know.”

Extracts from the letter that sparked the campaign were featured in last week’s Free Press.

Joan Woolard, of Fleet Hargate, had written to Mr Hayes in support of a campaign run by the family Education Trust, which opposes the Government’s plans.

In his reply, he said he believed marriage should be a union between a man and a woman and claimed the roots of many of Britain’s social problems could be traced to “a decline in marriages as well as an increase in divorces”.

Suzi, a student in her second year at Lincoln University, lives with her parents in Sharman Way during the holidays.

She said: “I am in a very happy relationship with a girl I met at uni and we have been together for over a year. We both have strong views about LGBT matters and believe that marriage is a very important part of life and a relationship.

“I would love to be able get married one day but not in a church as I am not a religious person.

“I don’t understand why churches are so against the legislation plans for gay marriage because they will not be forced to perform them. Also I don’t think that any couple, gay or straight, would want to be married in a place that didn’t support it and by a person who didn’t hold truth in the words they say while marrying them.

“I hope John Hayes sees the support and will act as a voice for his constituency and not just project his own views.”

A planning appeal over a lorry park is dividing opinion in two villages as a Spalding businessman continues his seven year battle to develop his land.

In June, South Holland District Council rejected Sam Kandola’s plan for a lorry park, shop, toilets and cafe at 37 Moulton Chapel Road, Moulton Chapel.

The application drew comments from people in Moulton Chapel and Cowbit.

Classic Car Buyer editor Peter Simpson, who lives in Back Gate – 200 yards from the site – has fired off an objection to the planning inspectorate in a bid to have the appeal rejected.

Mr Simpson said: “The council’s decision to reject this application was correct and in line both with current planning guidelines and the overwhelming wishes of the community.”

“There are many sites around Spalding that are far better suited to providing these facilities – including at least one that has previously been granted permission.

“This is totally the wrong place, there is no need or reason to provide it here, and the disturbance/inconvenience to local people far outweighs any conceivable benefit.”

But Tony Burton, who lives next door to the site, told the Free Press: “As far as I am concerned, I haven’t got a problem with it.

“I have weighed up the issues, the same as everybody else, and I think it’s a better alternative than what could be put there.”

Mr Burton, who works in recycling, said Mr Kandola and his agent have – at his request – kept him updated on every step.

He’s walked around the site with them and listened to the proposals for noise reduction.

Mr Burton says the site is used as a car wash now and he can’t see any difference between cars using that and calling at the shop.

“Everybody seems to be dead agains this guy,” he said. “But I can see plenty of positives.”

Mr Burton says the shop is more likely to draw traffic from the A16 rather than vehicles coming across from Cowbit.

“When you actually sit and think about it, I don’t think it will be as bad as people think it will be,” he said.

The council rejected the application on grounds including disturbance to residents from vehicles entering and leaving the site, noise from vehicles fitted with refrigeration equipment and the likelihood of the parking surface generating dust.

The appeal is being conducted by written representations and the deadline for public comments is January 17.

l Mr Kandola declined to comment on the appeal.

Fewer drink-drivers were caught in South Holland over the festive period but police say a reduction in numbers is not a cause for celebration.

Officers were so busy dealing with other calls from the public there was not enough manpower to focus on the Christmas drink-drive campaign.

According to Spalding police, between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, 11 drivers were found to have more than 35mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood, which is the legal limit, compared to 14 last year.

Twenty-five per cent of all road deaths involve the driver being under the influence of alcohol.

Detailed figures for this year will not be available until the end of the month, but Sgt Paul Wills, who headed the campaign locally, said he was disappointed at the numbers who ignored the campaign.

Sgt Wills said: “I was on duty on Christmas Day and we were so busy on other incidents that we were not out catching these people.

“The fact that it reach double figures is horrific. I arrested someone on New Year’s Day who still had 104mg of alcohol in their blood at 1pm.

“The only positive thing I can say is we were successful in taking 11 people off the roads over the festive period.”

A family of three feared their home would be flooded when water from a burst main turned their front and back gardens into a lake.

Water lapped within an inch of air-bricks, but began to soak away after Anglian Water cut off the supply in High Road, Whaplode.

The burst was discovered by Daphne Matson at 5.30am on Sunday when she got up to go to work at the Abbeygate Nursing Home, Moulton.

Emergency services attended, but Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue decided to allow the water to soak away.

The Matsons were among at least seven families who were without tap water supplies for eight hours as workmen repaired the main.

Mrs Matson’s son, Paul, said: “Luckily the house is slightly higher up than the garden. It was within an inch of coming through the air-bricks. It certainly looked like it was going to do some damage.”

And her husband, Neville, said: “I think the water authority got here just in time to prevent the water going into our house and garage.”

Neighbouring gardens were also flooded, but not so severely.

A greenhouse at the Matsons’ home was flooded, but there was nothing of value inside.

Cyclists caught riding without lights before Christmas made an agreement with police to avoid prosecution.

Seven cyclists were stopped in the Spalding area, with six agreeing to a restorative resolution rather than pay a fine.

This involved buying and fitting lights to their cycles and going to the police station to prove the work had been done.

The other rider faces a visit from officers and being issued with a summons.

Sgt Stuart Hurst said cyclists should be warned the police will continue making checks in the coming weeks.

Residents of Lincolnshire have the chance to put their questions or share their views with the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner next week.

Alan Hardwick is hosting a question and answer session on social media site Twitter between 7pm and 8pm next Wednesday.

To take part go to www.twitter.com andsearch for@AlanHardwickPCC.

Mr Hardwick, a former television journalist, was elected as the county’s first Police and Crime Commissioner, accountable for how crime is tackled.

Standing as an independent candidate, he won with a majority of 4,135.

Young people are being invited to embark on a life-changing adventure by signing up for a Prince’s Trust personal development course.

Run locally by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, the courses for 16 to 25 year olds offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop skills essential for success by helping to boost confidence and motivation and help uncover hidden talents.

Almost three quarters of those who take part go on to jobs, training or education within three months of completing the 12-week course.

There will be 12 courses available around the county during 2013, including one in Holbeach starting on September 9.

For details on how to apply, go to www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/princestrust

The past year has starkly demonstrated the cost that extreme weather events can wreak on farmers and highlights the need for fresh thinking from government, is the NFU president’s new year message.

Mr Kendall called for a new approach on farm policy as farmers and growers enter 2013 reeling from the consequences of extreme weather events around the world.

He said: “We know drought in the key production regions across the globe is the main driver for rocketing animal feed costs while in stark contrast, at home, a wash-out summer further compounded by a sodden autumn and winter has hammered production.

“Climate change scientists have long predicted that agriculture will face major challenges from global warming. However 2012 has starkly demonstrated the cost that extreme weather events can wreak on farmers and the food supply chain.”

It is estimated 2012’s weather caused a black hole of £1.3 billion on Britain’s farms.

Farmers are being helped to plan for the future at two farm business updates planned for next month.

In the wake of one of the worst cereal harvest in living memory chartered accountants Duncan & Toplis has organised workshops offering the best tax and business advice for the agricultural sector. They are being held in Oakham and Woodhall Spa on February 7 – book on email lisa.pask@duntop.co.uk

The Rev Canon Alan Robson is due to speak at the Plough Sunday service being held at St Andrew’s Church, Rippingale, on Sunday, January 13 (10.30am).

Mr Robson is agricultural chaplain for the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network.

The stress associated with cashflow problems are yet to reveal themselves to farmers and growers, believes the Rev David Creasey, associate priest at Morton, Rippingale and Haconby.

Mr Creasey is vice-chairman of trustees of the Lincolnshire Rural Support Network, which assists farmers and growers with problems of all kinds.

A year ago, the network was dealing with people with cashflow problems caused by delays with the Rural Payments Agency.

The government is more up to date with these payments now, and the nature of problems being presented to the network has changed.

Mr Creasey said: “That’s been replaced by other issues, but over-riding everything is the weather and the state of the harvest. There’s hardly a sector of the industry that’s not been affected by the weather, with the exception of poultry. It’s just been a grim season for everybody.”

He said all kinds of issues cropped up in addition to the financial ones, but he added: “I am not sure we have seen the bulk of those yet because after a bad harvest there’s always a lag. People won’t run out of money until the last three months before the next harvest. That’s true of all crops.

“The stress manifests in all ways, such as family issues, because it impacts on the whole family, not just the individual, and we get cases where the older generation want to retire and can’t get out and leave it intact for the nxt generation.”

Hard frosts persisted throughout the month of January, causing all sorts of problems.

The big freeze resulted in this historic image of ice floes piled up near the swing bridge at Sutton Bridge.

A driver thought he had slept off some drink but was over the limit when police stopped him, Spalding magistrates heard today (Thursday).

Matthew White (24), of Hall Hill Road, Holbeach, was banned from driving for 16 months, fined £250 and ordered to pay £85 costs with a £25 victim surcharge when he admitted having 58mcgs of alcohol in breath – the legal limit is 35mcgs.

He can cut four months off the ban if he completes a rehabilitation course.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said police stopped White’s Ford Transit van on Wildersgath, Holbeach, at 9.15pm on December 14.

Solicitor Mike Alexander, mitigating, said White returned home from work about 3pm, had “a few cans of drink” and went to sleep.

He wasn’t planning to go out until the next morning, but a friend phoned asking for a lift.

Mr Alexander said: “He didn’t feel over the limit at all. He had only had a small amount and had been to sleep.

“That’s a cautious tale that you have got to be very careful about getting into a car with any alcohol you have consumed.”

Hare coursing gangs targeting South Holland have been warned to expect jail if they continue with their illegal activities in the area.

Hare coursing gangs targeting South Holland have been warned to expect jail if they continue with their illegal activities in the area.

The message comes from Inspector Andy Ham, head of Operation Galileo where a team of police officers has been stopping people suspected of hunting hares with dogs.

Inspector Ham said the first prosecutions since the operation began last September saw two men from Lancashire given fines and three-year restraining orders last month.

The effect of the order is to ban the men from entering any land in Lincolnshire with dogs and a breach will leave them facing up to five years in prison.

Inpector Ham said: “We’re just over halfway through the operation and we know that incidents of hare coursing are down across the county, compared to this time last year.

“But we still have January to come, which is a big month for hare coursers, before things start to taper off in March.

“The police are hugely encouraged and reassured that the courts locally are recognising the impact hare coursing has on farmers and landowners which is reflected in their sentencing, including these restraining orders.

“If we can continue to reduce incidents of hare coursing in Lincolnshire, that would be marvellous.”

*Inspector Ham said only six reports of hare coursing were dealt with across Lincolnshire on Boxing Day, one of the busiest days of the year for hunting.

They included a case in Sutterton where three men were given a court summons and told to leave the county.

Inspector Ham said: “I was really happy with Boxing Day which has been a big hit historically for hare coursing.

“People were stopped and the number of incidents was way down on Boxing Day 2011.

“This is one of the biggest indicators of the operation’s success.”

South Holland District Council “will not be wasting taxpayers’ money” on a judicial review of the support grant from the Government that some authorities fear will lead to rioting in the streets.

The authority is expected to receive £4.393 million for 2013-14 but will not know until the figures are broken down over the next two weeks how any cuts will impact the district.

However, a coalition of more than 120 mostly Conservative rural authorities is calling on Communities Secretary Eric Pickles to perform a U-turn on cuts in local government spending.

Sparse – Sparsity Partnership for Authorities Delivering Rural Services – is considering bringing a judicial review against the recent spending settlement, which they say is “grossly unfair”.

Councils supporting the rebellion have accused the Government of “spinning” the level of budget cuts and claim services in remote areas would be “crucified” by the reductions and claim that the shires are losing out disproportionately under the Government’s cuts.

The leaders of three of England’s biggest cities have warned government cuts will lead to the ‘break up of civil society’ with chaos on the streets.

Council leaders of Newcastle, Liverpool and Sheffield, where Nick Clegg is an MP, called for the Government to halt cuts that they say unfairly penalise the north over the south, before ‘crime and community tensions erupt’.

Gary Porter, SHDC leader, said there has always been a divide between the amount of support cities and the shires receive - with South Holland receiving half of Liverpool’s £600 per head.

Coun Porter said the council constantly lobbies the Government for a better deal and new freedoms and powers but felt Sparse was jumping the gun as figures were only released on December 19 and there had not been time to analyse them properly.

He said: “We certainly won’t be wasting taxpayers’ money by backing a judicial review.”

Paul Przyszlak, portfolio holder for strategic finance at the district council, said: “Comparatively for the coming year, although challenging, we do not appear to have done as badly as other authorities.

“However, the following year will present even greater challenges for South Holland District Council, but we remain resolved to maintain our frontline services and reduce costs.”

A dad stole gammon joints from a supermarket to sell at half-price so he could spoil his children at Christmas.

Darren Sheridan (33) took the joints worth a total of £30 from the Coop’s Rainbow Stores in Godsey Lane, Market Deeping, but the manager spotted him placing them beneath his coat on December 18.

Sheridan, of Black Prince Avenue, Market Deeping, was ordered to do 60 hours unpaid work as part of a year-long community order.

Spalding magistrates on Thursday also ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

Solicitor Mike Alexander, mitigating, said Sheridan had no reason to steal as his income exceeded his outgoings – Sheridan explained he wanted to spoil his children by buying them Christmas presents.