Features

Regular readers of these articles will remember that after a long illness I had to put my old Cairn terrier Lady to sleep two months ago. In what in hindsight looks like an act of serendipity, before Lady died and before she became very ill, one of my clients offered me pick of litter from three Norfolk puppies. We visited ...

The recent award-winning investigative current affairs programme, Dispatches on Channel 4, was titled HOW TO BLOW YOUR PENSION. The programme, presented by Michael Buerk, highlighted facts from various surveys which prove that the majority of those who will be able to take lump sums from their pension pots are unaware of the full facts and the consequences of doing so. ...

Blimey, February upon us already, daylight is slowly but surely extending into the evenings and no doubt people are beginning to think about booking their holidays, if they haven’t done so already. Some will be looking to spend their time at a caravan site or holiday resort in Lincolnshire and East Anglia; from where they may organise a day trip ...

Last month Spalding and District Chamber of Commerce held its second Christmas ten pin bowling evening at AlleyCatz. An annual event that the town centre manager, Dennis decided to get recruiting for to make sure it was well attended with many local businesses, including Tom, Graham and the team at Hughes Electrical, Pete and family from the Punchbowl and Tulip ...

January means one thing for me. It is time again for the Big Garden Birdwatch. Have you heard of it? It is the RSPB’s annual call to arms to discover which birds use our back gardens. The idea started off in the 1970’s, when children were encouraged to spend a little bit of time one weekend in January, spotting their ...

There are 2.9 million people aged 65 and over who feel they have no one to go to for help and support, a new Age UK survey finds. Of these, 39 per cent said they felt lonely and one in five said they felt forgotten as a result of this. In addition, half of younger people aged 25-44 admit to ...

Veterinary surgeons hold a unique position when treating your pets. When you bring your pet to the vets you are placing your trust in their ability, their knowledge, and their care and compassion. Then you have to trust them to be fair with their fees. This is a very complex area. A business has to be successful and be able ...

Last week we had the opportunity to spend some time with the new Town Centre Manager, Dennis Hannant who has now been in post for two months. He told us of his impressions of town centre trading conditions and the general mood and outlook of local traders, mentioning that Spalding had a great deal going for it with its historic ...

Sharon Caress is a teaching assistant at Spalding Sir John’s Gleed School. In the second of the school’s monthly columns in The Voice, Sharon shares a day in the life of a teaching assistant. I have been a teaching assistant at the school for 11 years. Like all good “going to schoolers”, I get ready for school the night before! ...

Suzy Bulmer, of Spalding Travel, shares her top tips on what’s hot on the holiday front in 2015. This week it’s skiing and snowboarding deals for families and early bookers. Ski and snowboard operators are announcing special deals for early bookers and families. Some of the operators are operating three and four night weekends as well as the usual seven ...

This week, student veterinary nurse Charmaine Powell (student veterinary nurse) talks about her job. No veterinary practice could function without nurses, and I’m not just saying that because it’s my job! The nurse’s role is broad and varied: performing medical procedures, seeing animals for consultations like weight clinics or post-operative checks, managing a busy Monday morning reception desk – plus ...

Column by Spalding United striker Andrew Tidswell: The big local sporting news last week was the saga that arose at Spalding United. On the eve of the first team’s long away journey to Norton United, manager Pat Rayment handed in his resignation to the club, seemingly ending his three-year tenure. Fast forward 24 hours and I’m standing in the centre ...

Friday, February 20 sees the culmination of over 30 years of fundraising for a local charity set up to alleviate the suffering of those who have been badly burned and help their recovery as well as assisting their families who experience hardship visiting their loved ones. Originally set up by a group of Whittlesey people, led by the late Sheila ...

The waste and recycling depot is celebrating a prestigious award which has been received recently. The award really sets a precedent across local authorities, as they are not handed out regularly. This week I want to congratulate the depot in West Marsh Road on receiving this award as it shows the hard work and dedication of all the staff down ...

A monthly column by Spalding town centre manager Dennis Hannant: Happy New Year! May your 2015 be prosperous, filled with love, laughter, fun, passion and 365 full nights of sleep. The beginning of a new year always offers the chance of a new start and possibilities for the future and if you are like me, you will have made a resolution ...

January is a time when many people reflect on the previous 12 months and look ahead to what they can improve over the coming year and beyond. One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to make a clear financial plan. Here are some tips that I hope will help you to meet your goals for the new year. ...

Everybody understands that it is important for vets to communicate what they are thinking and how they would like to treat your pet. It is also very important that we listen to what our owners have to say and pay attention to any suggestions they might make, however unlikely we might think they are. I learnt this important lesson many ...

It is great to be back again, writing about the wonderful wildlife of the Spalding area. If you saw my last column you will remember that I was talking about feeding birds in your garden. I signed off by promising a few more hints to encourage more birds into your garden. So with no further ado, let’s get started! Now, ...

Your tree is up, your cupboards are bulging with extra treats and you’re probably looking forward to having a few well-earned days off over the festive period. If you’re suffering from a long term health condition, are undergoing rehabilitation or have a mishap at home, your day might also include a visit to or from the trust’s local community nursing ...

  …it’s all in a day’s work for Wayne Smith, the owner of Spalding’s Alder Veterinary Practice. Here Wayne gives us a run down of a typical working day. 6am: Alarm goes off and it’s all hands to the deck to clean, feed and water the eight dogs, 14 cats, two rabbits, 28 guinea pigs, two tortoises and a hamster, ...