Features

VET COLUMN: Disease is rare but it can be fatal

Recently we have been presented with a couple of cases in practice that we believe to have been Leptospirosis, with only one case currently being confirmed. This is a bacterial disease that should be routinely vaccinated against in dogs annually alongside a yearly check over by the veterinary surgeon. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that primarily causes liver and kidney ...

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Tulip Talk with Jan Whitbourn

Last week, we had the pleasure of talking to former Spalding Inspector, now Chief Inspector Jim Tyner who dropped round at our studios in the Crescent to tell us about life in Skegness, where he is now based. Recently of course Skegness has been in the national news as one of the sites for the beached sperm whales which have ...

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COLUMN: Get ready to sign up for green waste collection service

by Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for place at South Holland District Council You may be aware that South Holland District Council will soon be launching a new pilot garden waste collection service. The much-anticipated scheme starts on April 4 and we will be launching the sign-up process imminently, so keep checking the web for details. Signing up will be ...

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VET COLUMN: How you can help poorly wild hedgehogs survive

Did you know that you might have a prehistoric creature living in your garden? Hedgehogs are one of our oldest native species – they shared the earth with sabre-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths 15 million years ago, and now they snuffle about in our gardens helpfully eating the slugs and snails that damage our plants. Sadly, hedgehog numbers have declined ...

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TOWN CENTRE MANAGER COLUMN: An exciting 2016 ahead

Firstly I would like to wish all Voice readers a very Happy New Year! Hopefully you had a relaxing and fun-filled Christmas with your families and also managed to pick up a bargain or two during the January sales. There are certainly some excellent offers around the town to be had; so if you badly need to update your TV, ...

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COMMUNITY COLUMN: Time for resolutions

Whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not we all have things in our lives we would like to improve. Sometimes it is hard to know how to get started or the best way to achieve your goal. Fortunately there is a wealth of great free information available at your fingertips. A common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. ...

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Council Matters: A look back at the highlights of 2015

I’d like to start off by wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year. In this column, I’m going to take a look back at some highlights from 2015 and offer a glimpse of what 2016 will have in store. Last year we saw a growth in organised crime in a minority of our licensed retail outlets, but countered this ...

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WILDLIFE: Worrying starling trend

Last time I wrote about a favourite garden visitor, the blackbird. This month I thought it’d be good to look at another familiar feathered friend, the starling. Now, starlings aren’t always everyone’s favourite. Indeed, some people dismiss them as mere noisy black brutes. But do take a second look. For starters, they aren’t black. Their feathers are a deep, glossy ...

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Clinic’s new services for women with cancer

A well-being clinic in Spalding is set to become the first of its kind to provide skincare, make-up, diet and exercise support for women and teenagers affected by cancer. Essential Well-Being will offer the services and support from its new location on London Road in Spalding, supporting the international charity Look Good Feel Better. The monthly clinics will run alongside ...

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COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS COLUMN: Chance to showcase artistic flair

Artists in South Holland have a wonderful opportunity to showcase their work in the forthcoming Open Arts competition. The prestigious contest has been running since 1999 and is designed to showcase the work created by professionals and amateurs across the region. Artists can submit their work and an independent panel of judges will choose the pieces which will be displayed ...

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TRAVEL COLUMN: Why it’s best to book a holiday in January

The predictions for 2016 in the travel Industry are positive. We believe there will be growth in destinations in Europe such as; Spain, Canaries, Balearics, Greece, Algarve and Cape Verde and then those looking to go further will look at trips that revolve around interpersonal exchanges such as India, Cuba, China, Mexico and Australia. There will also be a growth ...

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VET COLUMN: An antidote to hate

In these unsettled times with the troubles in the Middle East and the increase in terrorism, it is easy to lose faith in human kind. It is wonderful for me then to see every day the love people have for their pets. I am constantly being told “he is such a lovely dog” or “she is a really beautiful cat”. ...

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TOWN CENTRE MANAGER COLUMN: Market is important to town centre

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 ...

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TULIP TALK: Finale to the Christmas choir competition

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 ...

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VET COLUMN: Christmas danger for your pets

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 ...

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COUNCIL MATTERS COLUMN: Which services should we preserve and which should we cut?

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 ...

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COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS COLUMN: How to keep kids active this winter

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 ...

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Town Centre Manager Column

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 ...

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Wildlife Voice

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 ...

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COUNCIL MATTERS COLUMN Leader asks: ‘Should we cut council tax again if it means reduction in services?’

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 ...

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