Columns

I recently had the pleasure of attending only the second meeting of the Spalding Branch of the National Market Traders Federation – I believe the inaugural meeting was held in early November – and met some of the stalwart market traders that regularly man their stalls in Spalding every Tuesday and Saturday. Often working seven days a week in all ...

Last Friday the first School Choir Competition Prize Giving Finale took place at St John the Baptist Church, Spalding. This was a great opportunity for all the schools to once again sing their Christmas song which they sang at the Spalding Christmas Light Switch On on November 14. Well done to all the schools involved, over 345 people came and ...

We’re really looking forward to Christmas. Time to start opening the advent calendars (with chocolate) and we will soon be getting our tree. It is a exciting time of the year for most people. It is not the time to have a seriously ill pet. Christmas presents a variety of dangers for dogs and cats. The number one danger is ...

By Coun Nick Worth, deputy leader of South Holland District Council Public services are likely to be severely tested as a result of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement this week. This stems from his incessant drive to tackle the national debt and balance the books by 2020. District councils are proportionately likely to take a larger hit – our main funding ...

by Jess Horn (community development officer at South Holland District Council) Keeping children active over the cooler months can be a tricky task. Fortunately there are lots of great activities available to help you out. One way you can help your children become more active is to sign up to the 10 Minute Shake Up. The campaign uses popular Disney ...

Remembrance. Well done Spalding! I attended my first Spalding Remembrance Service and Parade on Sunday in Ayscoughfee Gardens and was greatly impressed with the organisation of the event and the fantastic attendance, especially the large number of young people that turned out. It is extremely important that the country and we as a community continue to commemorate the loss of ...

There are some birds which everyone knows by sight. The robin on our Christmas cards, the elegant swan, the town pigeon. But there are rather fewer that people know the sound of. The cuckoo is one, or the quacking of a duck. And of course the owl, which goes “Twit-twooo”. But does it? It may surprise you to learn that ...

By Coun Gary Porter, leader of South Holland District Council This is the first of a new regular column by district council cabinet members and I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Voice for giving us a voice. Over the coming months different members will try to write interesting and sometimes provocative articles that will hopefully get ...

There are some birds which everyone knows by sight. The robin on our Christmas cards, the elegant swan, the town pigeon. But there are rather fewer that people know the sound of. The cuckoo is one, or the quacking of a duck. And of course the owl, which goes “Twit-twooo”. But does it? It may surprise you to learn that ...

Brian Payne has been an armed forces standard bearer for the Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and south Yorkshire area since 2000. Brain was not in the Armed Forces but he is part of the Royal Naval Association and has represented them at many Armed Forces events. Brain paraded at the 90th anniversary celebration for the battle of the Somme, The ...

Spalding Travel together with Holiday With Us in March and Wisbech are having a very busy 2015! Here’s a round-up of some of the things that have been happening. Holiday With Us Group are extremely proud to have won the prestigious Independent Travel Executive of the year for Cambridgeshire, we are also finalists for the 2015 Fenland Business Awards. All ...

I’d like to know if action is going to be taken to stop and/or fine the owners of vehicles that are constantly parked on the pavement on Winsover Road near the Station Street junction. All times of day or night they park outside Chilli Masters and on the opposite side of the road outside the Polish shop next to the ...

Colin Jackman is a local veteran of the Armed Forces, and current chairman of the Royal British Legion. His nine year service took him through a number of different professions within the Army and to a range of locations across the globe. Colin was called up for national service in 1959, at the age of 22. Colin did his basic ...

It’s that time of year again that a lot of pet owners dread… firework season! Sadly we can no longer plan for just November 5 as fireworks seem to go on for months and this can be a stressful time for our pets. Now is the time to start doing something to make this a little more bearable and there ...

Friday saw The Pumpkin Festival return to Spalding Market place in triumphant fashion. The event attracted a large number of people between 11am and 7.30pm, culminating in a fireworks display. The event was sponsored once again by David Bowman Pumpkins Ltd. The all-day festival took place across Spalding’s Sheep Market, with the evening entertainment in the main market place. Visitors ...

Well done to SHDC for running yet another successful Pumpkin Festival and Parade last Friday; watching people basking in the sun drenched town centre, clearly enjoying themselves, was really good to see. Considering the excellent weather it doesn’t seem possible that it is only some ten weeks until Christmas and only seven weeks until our Christmas Market, which takes place ...

We have seen rising cases over the last few years of what appears to be ‘Seasonal Canine Illness’ in dogs during the months of August through to November. Although the cause is not yet known we do know that these dogs have been walked in woodland. In our Bourne practice we have seen the most cases and a lot of ...

by Jess Horn – community development officer at South Holland District Council This month will see Hate Crime Awareness Week take place and our team is keen to spread the word. Research suggests that over 80 per cent of hate crimes are not reported to the police. We want to raise awareness of this project and do what we can ...

We are seeing more and more small furries in practice, guinea pigs being a very popular pet for many households especially with small children. Although guinea pigs are a great first pet for children it needs to remembered that ultimately a child’s pet is always the responsibility of the parent. Careful consideration should be taken before deciding whether these sociable ...

We recently spoke with Terry Browning and Ken Willows about their times with the Lincolnshire Regiment during their time as conscripts in the 50s and 60s. National Service was Government policy at the time and the policy operated from 1939 until 1960. Terry, a well known former butcher from Deeping St Nicholas, spent much of his time in Malaya during ...