I was having a post Christmas clear-out of cupboards and came across a couple of papers from nearly 13 years ago (no idea how or why they were put there!!).
I was intriqued and just had to peruse them and I thought it might be interesting to your readers as I am sure with the passing of time, like myself, people will have forgotten.
In a February 2001 edition of the Free Press the front page article was all about the Castle Sports Complex and Sir Halley Stewart Field and the fact that South Holland District Council were employing consultants to look at it’s usage. Coun Nick Worth states: “Consultants will look at the wider recreational use of the field. I believe it should be available for all the public.” INTERESTING!
In an unrelated article in the sports pages, a meeting of Spalding Football Club reports how the then chairman, Alan Mitchell, informed those present of a financial loss for the year and he states that the football club was unable to secure grants from the Football Association (FA) because the council only leased the ground to them for two years at a time and the FArules required seven.
“Perhaps they have designs on developing the field into a retail park” he quipped. PROFOUND!
Another story concerns the A17 and calls for a roundabout at Peppermint Junction to make it safer. PROGRESS THERE THEN!
In a February 2001 edition of the Spalding Guardian the then-Inspector of Spalding Police, Bob Scully,declares: “We are pleased to be working with other agencies to tackle once and for all the problem of anti-social behaviour and drinking in the town centre.” OH WELL, NEVER MIND, NEARLY!
Other articles included reports of the new Tesco to open soon in Holbeach; the search for a new site for the new hospital.
The fact that the re-development of Springfields could now commence and be ready as a tourist attraction in two years’ time.
Some, supposedly learned, district councillors proclaim:“This will not have an adverse affect on the town centre.” WRONG!
The overwhelming thing that comes to mind is the children’s nursery sing-song: “The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round.”
However, on the front page of the Spalding Guardian is a heart-warming story of an eleven-year-old schoolboy at Pinchbeck Primary School who had been identified as a gifted footballer and had been enrolled on a development course at Peterborough United Football Club.
He said that one day he hoped to play for Spalding and eventually become a professional player.
And the young boy’s name... Andrew Tidswell, the goal machine for Spalding this season.
I’m not really a follower of soccer, but I do read the sports reports and I am so pleased that this young man has not had his dreams and aspirations crushed, as appears to be all too prevalent in this part of the world.
I sincerely wish him all the best in attaining the end object of his desires. Spalding’s loss will be someone else’s gain.
If nothing else, he has shown that something can be achieved if you really really want to and are not just “playing at it”.
At times I thought I was reading last week’s editions!
Tony Bown
Whaplode St Catherine