Community

A group of Slimming World consultants from Spalding were congratulated on helping slimmers to lose weight and change their lives by singer and TV presenter Peter Andre. The team, who run Slimming World groups in Spalding, were delighted to get a chance to meet Peter when he presented the annual Slimming World Awards. The Mysterious Girl singer co-hosted the event ...

A village school was overrun with superheroes and other colourful characters as part Let’s Pretend day. Whaplode Church of England Primary School welcomed the likes of Spiderman, Spidergirl, Batgirl, Frozen’s Anna and Elsa, Sonic The Hedgehog and Captain America among its ranks. A school spokesman said: “Reception children at Whaplode decided that they wanted to come to school dressed as ...

A college that has a campus in Spalding is celebrating a ‘good’ Ofsted rating. Ofsted recognised high standards of provision, performance and quality of teaching at Boston College during its recent inspection. The report concluded that the college, with its Spalding and Boston campuses, had built on previous inspection performance with aspects of provision described as “life-changing”. There was excellent ...

A Spalding singer-songwriter has started the year on a musical note with the release of a three-track EP. Matthew James Aylett (31) released his rootsy, country-inflected Factory Blues EP online on Friday. Matthew, who has lived in Spalding all his life, said his music reflects the area and his experience working here, best summed up in the opening track, Ain’t ...

A couple who aptly live on Love Lane in Spalding have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Ena Turner (87) and husband Les (92) were wed at Whaplode Church on December 27, 1947. They celebrated their platinum anniversary together at home. The pair had met in the Odeon Cinema in Spalding, though neither can remember when and what they were there ...

A Spalding resident says she has had enough of residents and fly-tippers who have “no thought for the town”, leaving rubbish in streets. Jackie Allen, of Victoria Mews, says rubbish being left on the surrounding streets and fly-tipping around Victoria Street Car Park leaves visitors to Spalding with a poor first impression of the town. Jackie told The Voice: “I’ve ...

Anyone looking to get active in the New Year can try their feet at jive dancing as a new beginners’ class opens in Pinchbeck. Run by Boston Jive, aka Claire and Neil Seabrook, the classes teach jive and swing dance, to the backbeat of good old-fashioned rock and roll. Claire, who teaches across the county said: “Thursday nights are now ...

The Donington and Quadring branch of the Royal British Legion has closed its Malting Lane club for the final time. A statement on the group’s Facebook page said: “It’s the sad end of an era where dwindling numbers and increasing overheads led to this unfortunate outcome but we are not alone as Legion clubs are closing all over the country ...

New swimming classes are coming to Spalding. Billie’s Fins Swim School will offer classes at Woodhouse Lodge hotel in Spalding from February. Billie Whyatt, who runs the swimming school for more than 350 pupils around Peterborough said she is looking forward to starting in Spalding. “Woodhouse Lodge is a beautiful venue, it’s private, clean and quaint. There is a restaurant ...

Construction and waste management firm Mick George has awarded money from its community fund to two South Holland causes. In Crowland, Mick George granted £15,000 to Crowland Methodist Church. After a five-year consultation period to decide whether the church should relocate, committee members decided it would remain where it is and undergo the necessary maintenance work. A spokesman for Mick ...

Award winning artist Vic Bearcroft had Spalding Art and Crafts Society howling at their latest meeting. Vic specialises in animal portraits and he provided a demonstration of pastel and black valour using just four colours.   Vic created Howling Wolf from an original photo taken in a Berkshire Wildlife centre of a North American grey wolf called Nuka. The meeting ...

Winter can be the loneliest time for the elderly, but a Spalding institution brings them together every weekday. The Spalding District branch of Age UK’s Sir John Geest Centre has now been bringing together those who otherwise would be left by themselves. An army of around 50 mainly volunteers collects the pensioners and brings them to the centre on The ...

A Spalding GP practice has been put into special measures after it was rated inadequate by inspectors and patients are said to be “at risk of harm” due to missing systems. Patients at Pennygate Health Centre were deemed to be “at risk of harm” because systems were not in place to keep them safe. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) published ...

A Spalding fundraiser is celebrating after her first successful outing – and wants to find enthusiastic people more events. Mary Abayomi (22) set up a tombola stall and collection bucket in Hall Place, Spalding throughout December. She said: “I wasn’t expecting much but everyone is so generous. It went really well.” The bucket collection raised £65.03 and the tombola stall ...

Ice cream and sweets shop Laddies Ices has won the Holbeach Christmas Window competition. The competition launched in December and saw the town adopt a festive feel as participating shops dressed their windows. Judith Snowden from Laddies Ices said: “It’s great to be a part of something like this that makes a difference to the town.” The windows were judged ...

The Alzheimers Society is running a free course for carers at Holbeach’s WI Hall on Wednesday, January 10. For more information including times and to book a place please contact 01522 437069.

Staff at a Holbeach school have put on their own pantomime to entertain the children. William Stukeley Primary School’s adults performed Cinderella as a surprise for the children last month. Staff rehearsed behind closed doors for eight weeks after school, at weekends and at any given opportunity to present the one-off performance to the whole school on the last day ...

Youngsters who want to get into the arts have the chance to plan, organise, perform at or run a mini-festival at the South Holland Centre. South Holland Centre’s Youth Takeover Team and Lincolnshire One Venues network host the Emerge project that aims to give young people a start in the arts. The scheme will also offer an arts award. “There ...

An online “thunderclap” is set to be unleashed on computers across the area in a bid to highlight the dangers of second hand smoke. South Holland District Council is urging anyone with a Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr account to take part in the online event which will take place at 12pm on Monday, January 8. Those who have signed up ...

Here are the latest entries for this year’s Festive Pets competition. Sponsored by Rooke’s Pet Products, the winner will be the pet that judges think shows the most Christmas spirit. The winner will receive a £100 voucher to spend at Rooke’s Pet Products in Spalding. We will be featuring all this year’s entries in the paper throughout December and the ...